<!--QuoteBegin-UnderDOG+Nov 17 2004, 02:32 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (UnderDOG @ Nov 17 2004, 02:32 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Ok, makes sense, thanks. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Technically Hibbins' is more correct, but eediot['s friend] is right, hibbins's works too. Generally you try to avoid writing the two Ss that need to be pronounced in a row, but it too is right.
[Or you just don't end people's names with S...which I find works as well.]
Yeah, I thought from the start that it was Hibbins' but I had seen people use both and asked him. I still use Hibbins' though <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> Call me old fashioned, but you gotta love that grammar.
There is actually a rule behind it, but the quick easy test is to try and say it and see which one fits, and, of course as with all of the slightly more esoteric grammatical rules; there is a lot of room for personal preference and stylistic choice.
There are some instances where the apostrophe and repetition of the s is quite ridiculous and extraordinarily strange, (especially in set phrases). For example, <u>Nobody</u> would ever say "April Fools's Day", although this is a plural possessive, not just a singular with an S on the end
The example given is the surname "Hibbins". Most people would <i>say</i> "this is Ms Hibbins' pen", but it is perfectly acceptable to say "this is Mr Hbbins's pen". It's just quicker the first way, and flows better when you say it. If you were talking about something owned by the whole Hibbins family, it would be "that's the Hibbins' car" or "Hibbins's". People often use the extra 's to really stress that they are talking about the possessive. Now, let's say there was something that belonged to the whole family, but the family name doesn't end in an S. For this example, we'll use "Anderson". So, that would mean saying "that's the Andersons' car" (that's the car of the Andersons). Obviously, nobody says "That is the Andersons's car", as it sounds silly. Nobody would ever say it but you would be suprised how many people would write it that way.
here's another part to the rule: Biblical figures and most historical figures (especially classical ones. Double Especially Greek ones) use only s'.
Example: "Jesus' words". Nobody ever rights Jesus's. It's just not done. Some people <i>say</i> "Jesus's words", but nobody would ever write it. Same for Xerxes', Venus', Mars' and Ceres' names.
So usually, the rule of thumb is, use s' if it is comfortable, use s's to avoid confusion about whether or not it is possessive, but don't use it if it doesn't sit comfortably.
I would say use <i>Hibbins'</i> for the following reason.
If you say Hibbins's you could get confused between the following (and similar) statement(s):
Ms Hibbins's cold <b>Ms Hibbins is cold</b>
Ms Hibbins's cold (correctly imo: Ms Hibbins' cold) <b>The cold of Ms Hibbins</b> or <b>the cold that Ms Hibbins has</b>
I think it is for those reasons that the correct version used to be <i>Hibbins'</i> but due to English speakers' laziness it is widely accepted as both, something with which I am definitely not in agreement.
Trying to remember back to when I took English class in high school with my fuzzy memory, I always thought singular pronouns, namely names, you always take on a 's. So if you're trying to say the dog belongs to George Hibbins, it would be George Hibbins's dog since it is his (singular) dog. However, if you're saying it's the family's dog, then it would be the Hibbins' dog, since it's their (plural) dog. Now as for April Fools' Day, it's Fools' since it's all the fools (plural) who gets tricked, etc.
So all in all, what I remember as being correct (which doesn't mean it is since I've killed quite a few brain cells going through college), plural, just tack on the ', singular add the 's.
Comments
Use it like you pronounce it.
If you say "Hibbins-ses", It's Hibbins's.
If you say "Hibbins dog", then Hibbins'.
Technically Hibbins' is more correct, but eediot['s friend] is right, hibbins's works too. Generally you try to avoid writing the two Ss that need to be pronounced in a row, but it too is right.
[Or you just don't end people's names with S...which I find works as well.]
There are some instances where the apostrophe and repetition of the s is quite ridiculous and extraordinarily strange, (especially in set phrases). For example, <u>Nobody</u> would ever say "April Fools's Day", although this is a plural possessive, not just a singular with an S on the end
The example given is the surname "Hibbins". Most people would <i>say</i> "this is Ms Hibbins' pen", but it is perfectly acceptable to say "this is Mr Hbbins's pen". It's just quicker the first way, and flows better when you say it. If you were talking about something owned by the whole Hibbins family, it would be "that's the Hibbins' car" or "Hibbins's". People often use the extra 's to really stress that they are talking about the possessive.
Now, let's say there was something that belonged to the whole family, but the family name doesn't end in an S. For this example, we'll use "Anderson". So, that would mean saying "that's the Andersons' car" (that's the car of the Andersons). Obviously, nobody says "That is the Andersons's car", as it sounds silly. Nobody would ever say it but you would be suprised how many people would write it that way.
here's another part to the rule: Biblical figures and most historical figures (especially classical ones. Double Especially Greek ones) use only s'.
Example: "Jesus' words". Nobody ever rights Jesus's. It's just not done. Some people <i>say</i> "Jesus's words", but nobody would ever write it. Same for Xerxes', Venus', Mars' and Ceres' names.
So usually, the rule of thumb is, use s' if it is comfortable, use s's to avoid confusion about whether or not it is possessive, but don't use it if it doesn't sit comfortably.
If you say Hibbins's you could get confused between the following (and similar) statement(s):
Ms Hibbins's cold
<b>Ms Hibbins is cold</b>
Ms Hibbins's cold (correctly imo: Ms Hibbins' cold)
<b>The cold of Ms Hibbins</b> or <b>the cold that Ms Hibbins has</b>
I think it is for those reasons that the correct version used to be <i>Hibbins'</i> but due to English speakers' laziness it is widely accepted as both, something with which I am definitely not in agreement.
So all in all, what I remember as being correct (which doesn't mean it is since I've killed quite a few brain cells going through college), plural, just tack on the ', singular add the 's.