Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
possessive form of "actress"
English answer:
actress'
Added to glossary by
Fuad Yahya
Mar 5, 2004 17:02
20 yrs ago
3 viewers *
English term
genitive of actress
English
Art/Literary
Linguistics
The dress of the actress.
The actress' dress? How many s's? Where to put the apostrophe?
The actress' dress? How many s's? Where to put the apostrophe?
Responses
3 +3 | the actress' role |
RHELLER
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3 +16 | actress's |
Kim Metzger
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5 +1 | actress's dress |
Fuad Yahya
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3 +1 | actress's dress |
IanW (X)
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5 -1 | actress' dress |
humbird
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4 -1 | actor's |
Laurel Porter (X)
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Change log
Jan 9, 2006 07:21: Fuad Yahya changed "Level" from "Non-PRO" to "PRO"
Responses
+3
7 mins
Selected
the actress' role
For nouns ending in s (whether singular or plural), the possessive form requires only an apostrophe:
Unisys' annual report
Phyliss' comments
your boss' agenda
the actress' role
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NOTE: if a singular noun ending in s is followed by a word beginning with s, use only the apostrophe, not 's. Charles' shirt
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Note added at 11 mins (2004-03-05 17:13:26 GMT)
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There is obviously more than one point of view on the topic :-)
Many writers consider it bad form to use apostrophe -s possessives with pieces of furniture and buildings or inanimate objects in general. Instead of \"the desk\'s edge\" (according to many authorities), we should write \"the edge of the desk\" and instead of \"the hotel\'s windows\" we should write \"the windows of the hotel.\" In fact, we would probably avoid the possessive altogether and use the noun as an attributive: \"the hotel windows.\" This rule (if, in fact, it is one) is no longer universally endorsed. We would not say \"the radio of that car\" instead of \"that car\'s radio\" (or the \"car radio\") and we would not write \"the desire of my heart\" instead of \"my heart\'s desire.\" Writing \"the edge of the ski\" would probably be an improvement over \"the ski\'s edge,\" however.
For expressions of time and measurement, the possessive is shown with an apostrophe -s: \"one dollar\'s worth,\" \"two dollars\' worth,\" \"a hard day\'s night,\" \"two years\' experience,\" \"an evening\'s entertainment.\"
Unisys' annual report
Phyliss' comments
your boss' agenda
the actress' role
-----------------
NOTE: if a singular noun ending in s is followed by a word beginning with s, use only the apostrophe, not 's. Charles' shirt
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 mins (2004-03-05 17:13:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
There is obviously more than one point of view on the topic :-)
Many writers consider it bad form to use apostrophe -s possessives with pieces of furniture and buildings or inanimate objects in general. Instead of \"the desk\'s edge\" (according to many authorities), we should write \"the edge of the desk\" and instead of \"the hotel\'s windows\" we should write \"the windows of the hotel.\" In fact, we would probably avoid the possessive altogether and use the noun as an attributive: \"the hotel windows.\" This rule (if, in fact, it is one) is no longer universally endorsed. We would not say \"the radio of that car\" instead of \"that car\'s radio\" (or the \"car radio\") and we would not write \"the desire of my heart\" instead of \"my heart\'s desire.\" Writing \"the edge of the ski\" would probably be an improvement over \"the ski\'s edge,\" however.
For expressions of time and measurement, the possessive is shown with an apostrophe -s: \"one dollar\'s worth,\" \"two dollars\' worth,\" \"a hard day\'s night,\" \"two years\' experience,\" \"an evening\'s entertainment.\"
Peer comment(s):
agree |
James Calder
: Quite right Rita. You don't need to put an 's' after the apostrophe.
54 mins
|
thanks James :-)
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|
agree |
Charlie Bavington
: this is certainly what I was always taught. So mark this down as being Charles' opinion :-)
5 hrs
|
dependable CB :-)
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agree |
Scott Horne (X)
: Both are possible, but _actress's_ is better
4 days
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you"
+16
1 min
actress's
For the plural it would be actresses'
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Vicky Papaprodromou
0 min
|
agree |
IanW (X)
1 min
|
agree |
Hacene
1 min
|
agree |
TransMark
1 min
|
agree |
David Knowles
2 mins
|
agree |
pike
3 mins
|
agree |
Madeleine MacRae Klintebo
5 mins
|
agree |
Norbert Hermann
15 mins
|
agree |
Attila Piróth
18 mins
|
agree |
ben baudoin
1 hr
|
agree |
Armorel Young
2 hrs
|
agree |
karina koguta
3 hrs
|
agree |
Jörgen Slet
4 hrs
|
agree |
senin
19 hrs
|
agree |
Rajan Chopra
20 hrs
|
agree |
Scott Horne (X)
4 days
|
+1
2 mins
actress's dress
Good question! I must admit that I am not 100% sure, but I would say "actress's dress".
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Scott Horne (X)
4 days
|
+1
4 mins
actress's dress
The following is from William Strunk, Jr. (1869–1946). The Elements of Style. 1918.
http://www.bartleby.com/141/strunk.html#1
Form the possessive singular of nouns with 's.
Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write,
Charles's friend
Burns's poems
the witch's malice
This is the usage of the United States Government Printing Office and of the Oxford University Press.
Exceptions are the possessives of ancient proper names in -es and -is, the possessive Jesus', and such forms as for conscience' sake, for righteousness' sake. But such forms as Achilles' heel, Moses' laws, Isis' temple are commonly replaced by
the heel of Achilles
the laws of Moses
the temple of Isis
The pronominal possessives hers, its, theirs, yours, and oneself have no apostrophe.
http://www.bartleby.com/141/strunk.html#1
Form the possessive singular of nouns with 's.
Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write,
Charles's friend
Burns's poems
the witch's malice
This is the usage of the United States Government Printing Office and of the Oxford University Press.
Exceptions are the possessives of ancient proper names in -es and -is, the possessive Jesus', and such forms as for conscience' sake, for righteousness' sake. But such forms as Achilles' heel, Moses' laws, Isis' temple are commonly replaced by
the heel of Achilles
the laws of Moses
the temple of Isis
The pronominal possessives hers, its, theirs, yours, and oneself have no apostrophe.
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Scott Horne (X)
4 days
|
-1
1 hr
actor's
Easy fix: In the US today, writers prefer to use the gender-neutral(ized) "actor" in place of the old-fashioned and sexist-sounding "actress". Most of these "-ess" forms are being dropped nowadays.
If this doesn't work in your context, I agree with most of the other answerers that it should be "actress's".
If this doesn't work in your context, I agree with most of the other answerers that it should be "actress's".
Peer comment(s):
disagree |
Scott Horne (X)
: irrelevant
4 days
|
Excuse me? How is it irrelevant? Thanks so much for your input, which I in turn find irrelevant.
|
-1
3 hrs
actress' dress
Kate L. Turabian says in her book "A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertation" (every college student's reference book) that:
{For some common nouns euphony dictates adding only an apostrophe. For righteousness' sake}.
Actress thereby being a common noun, "actress' dress" should be the choice.
{For some common nouns euphony dictates adding only an apostrophe. For righteousness' sake}.
Actress thereby being a common noun, "actress' dress" should be the choice.
Peer comment(s):
disagree |
Scott Horne (X)
: Irrelevant: _for righteousness' sake_ is a different case
4 days
|
Yes it is relavant. Issue here is common noun, apostrophee"s" and possessive. Both actress and righteousness are common nouns. In case of doubt, you should send letter of inquiry to that effect to Ms. Turabian.
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Discussion