Happy holidays from the Jones’s! Or is it the Jones’? Or the Jones? There are specific guidelines to using the apostrophe punctuation mark, yet it still stumps the most diligent grammar students from time to time. The main purposes of the apostrophe are: 1) to show possession, 2) to omit letters or numbers, and 3) to pluralize singular letters or numbers.
We’ll address the correct ways to use apostrophes in other editions, but this time of year brings one of the most egregious misuses of the punctuation mark: names and signing holiday cards.
The only reason apostrophes are added to nouns is to show possession; they should never be used for plurality. A last name is a proper noun. So, on your greeting cards, get rid of those apostrophes. You want to sign those cards “From, the Freemans” or “With Love, the Joneses.”
The rules for making last names plural are straightforward, though they vary depending on how the name ends. For most names, simply add an “s”: the Taylors, the Chens. For names ending in “ch,” “s,” “sh,” “x,” or “z,” add “es”: the Churches, the Lewises, the Ashes, the Foxes, the Gonzalezes.
Use an apostrophe only if you are demonstrating possession. And in that case, add it after the “s” for plural proper nouns. (You don’t need an additional “s” after the apostrophe.) For example, “The Freemans’ light display this year is impressive” (not “The Freeman’s light display” or “The Freemans’s light display”). Similarly, if a singular proper noun ends in an “s,” the common guidance for possession is to add just the apostrophe. (“Alexis’ mailbox is too full to fit any cards.”)
The confusion over apostrophes and pluralization isn’t limited to holiday cards, of course — it appears on welcome mats, mailboxes, and custom home décor all year round. You’ve probably seen signs reading “The Cohen’s House” or “Welcome to the Garcia’s.” While these look decorative, they’re technically incorrect unless referring to a single Cohen or Garcia (and then the resident would be referring to themself in the third person). The correct versions would be “The Cohens’ House” or “Welcome to the Garcias’.”
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