Possesive Endings

[leonwingstein]

I am taking two religion classes this trimester (Exams next week), and taking these classes has prompted me to wonder: when writing the possessive of a word that ends with s, such as "Jesus", would there be just an apostrophe or an apostrophe s? I have always gone with the apostrophe s, but my teacher keeps on putting just an apostrophe in all of his notes on the board, as well as on tests and handouts.

Basically what I'm asking is: is it "Jess's" or "Jesus'"?

[cyanea]

As far as I know, both are correct.

[mrodigga]

I once read that both are acceptable; all that matters is that you are consistent with how you do it. The system I use, which I read about online a while ago, is to use an s if the possessive form adds an extra syllable to the word, and not use it if it doesn't. So for Jesus, since it's pronounced "Gee-sus-says", I spell it Jesus's. I can't think of any examples of a word whose pronunciation I wouldn't change when it's put in the possessive form, but in that case, I wouldn't put an s after the apostrophe.

[Olive]

Both are technically correct. I stick to a pattern of pronouncing the extra 's' when I'm speaking, so that it's clear, but simply ending with an apostrophe if it's in writing, since that's a bit neater. Make sense?

[callmeishmael]

While both are correct, ending with the apostrophe is technically the "lazy" way to do it, since it truly would be Jesus's, and you just scratch the last s for aesthetics. I personally always use the extra s, because I feel it is magical English major knowledge that I have above those who think it cannot end with another s.

[tophu]

I was taught by one of my TAs that it was based on whether the possessive was singular or plural.
So it would be Chris's dog and the Sanderses' dog, unless the plural possessive doesn't end in s, I guess.

[onlyaworkingtitle]

I've heard that it depends on the number of syllables the name has, and that works pretty well, I've found. Examples:
Jess's
Chris's
Zeus's
Jesus'
Hippocrates'

This applies to all proper nouns, for example:
"Black Ships's cover drew me to it immediately, because I'm a fan of John Jude Palencar's work."
"Karavans' cover is less attractive to me, but I picked it up anyway because I'm a fan of the author."

(Yes, I did just look at my bookshelf and pick the first two my eyes fell on. The statements are true, though.)
(Also, John Jude Palencar is a fantastic cover artist. I have yet to pick up a book he worked on and not enjoy it.)

[rayyychul]

Both are acceptable. I rely on my ear to see which is correct, though. If you would pronounce the extra "s" in the sentence, then add "'s." If you wouldn't, then don't!

[Dodger Thirteen]

I looked this up ages ago, so it may have changed since then, but what I recall is that you always add the possessive "s" unless the following word begins with "s" as well. So "Jess's car" is correct, but "Jess's sneakers" is incorrect and should be "Jess' sneakers."

[serpentheart]

My last exam had a grammar section and it was Jesus's.
According to my lecturer's grammar document you take the s off, when it's not plural, when the name ends with a 'z' sound or is Ancient Greek in origin. I never knew the latter part! The exam had the correct answer for that example as Xerxes' fork, or what have you.
I'm blabbing now but that's what I was taught overall.

[moosethemoose]

I used to write Jesus's until I saw a possessive without the final ess in some piece of writing or another, and I really liked it, so I stopped pronouncing and writing the final ess.

Now I say, and write, Jesus'.

[Katherine]

My last name ends in an s, and I've always put the 's on it, because you pronounce the extra s. Now that I think about it, though, I never put the 's on anything else, only apostrophe.