Re: possesives in -s

From: "Muke Tever"

> > From:    Roger Mills
> > I've been taken to task for making the possessive of names ending in -s
> with
> > the simple apostrophe-- Mills' theory, Geurtjens' dictionary, Mr.
Roberts'
> > rank.....
> > which I think is OK in British usage.  Or am I wrong on all counts?
>
> I was taught (in school, I suppose) that -s names always take full 's
> (Mills's) except for "Jesus".
> I don't know whether or not I speak it that way, though.
Back when I was in school (as an American ca. 1977), I believe the MLA style
sheet said that names and words ending in "s" simply took the apostrophe as
well as other words ending with an "s-like" sound. So, in addition to
"Douglas' book", you could also have things like "Liz' book" and "the fox'
lair" (though still read as /dVgl@s@s/, /lIzIz/, and /faks@s/). Myself, I've
chosen to use the former "rule", since "Douglas's" looks weird to me and
"princess's" is aesthetically unappealing. I forego the latter, however,
since it seems too slavish to prescribed grammar (and I don't even know if
it's still valid as an MLA "rule") and most people I threw it by at the time
at best did a double take at "fox'" or at worst vedged out entirely. So
what's the point if no one can read it? Given my own unscientific
microstudy, I suspect that new (at the time) rule died of loneliness, but
who knows?

Kou