Words you dislike? Or really like?

Referring to Evans' contributions to Duke? I love it in that context.
Evans's.

Even though his last name ends with an s, it is not a plural. Therefore, the possessive is made by adding s's.

Exceptions made for Jesus, Moses, Socrates, and the like probably don't apply to Jason. At least not yet. 🤭




(I figure this kind of pedantry is acceptable in a thread about words.)
 
Evans's.

Even though his last name ends with an s, it is not a plural. Therefore, the possessive is made by adding s's.

Exceptions made for Jesus, Moses, Socrates, and the like probably don't apply to Jason. At least not yet. 🤭




(I figure this kind of pedantry is acceptable in a thread about words.)

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MLA agrees with you, but it's not universal.

In MLA style, proper nouns ending in s that are singular follow the general rule and add ’s :

Athens’s history
Diogenes’s philosophy
Alexandre Dumas’s novels

Some styles may allow you to add only an apostrophe: Athens’ history, Diogenes’ philosophy, Dumas’ novels.
 
Both Ways Heard It Both Ways GIF - Both Ways Heard It Both Ways Shawn  Spencer - Discover & Share GIFs


MLA agrees with you, but it's not universal.

In MLA style, proper nouns ending in s that are singular follow the general rule and add ’s :

Athens’s history
Diogenes’s philosophy
Alexandre Dumas’s novels

Some styles may allow you to add only an apostrophe: Athens’ history, Diogenes’ philosophy, Dumas’ novels.
Sporks for the Psych reference.

I'm old school, and therefore use the Chicago Manual of Style. Even they make exceptions, as I noted, for extremely famous (and mostly historical) people whose names ended with an s; Diogenes would likely qualify.

I'm still not ready to put Jason in that company. Maybe in a few hundred years?
 
I'm old school, and therefore use the Chicago Manual of Style. Even they make exceptions, as I noted, for extremely famous (and mostly historical) people whose names ended with an s; Diogenes would likely qualify.
Strunk & White say write it the way you would use it in conversation. So we're buying the Smiths' house and keeping up with the Jones's lifestyle, but it's Isaiah Evans' world.
 
I just avoid the awkward question by sticking them in the middle. So we're buying the Smi’ths house and keeping up with the Jo’nes lifestyle, but it's Isaiah Ev’ans world.

When someone complains, I tell them to read Cormac McCarthy and get some culture. That usually ends the conversation.

(I guess I would describe my style as “aggressive stupidity”).
 
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