Possessive names that end in "s"?

Question

I'm just curious-- if I were to state ownership of something by a person named "Louis", would I say...

"Louis' cat"
or
"Louis's cat"?

Thank you!

Hehe, a year of Advanced Placement English Composition, and I still need help with silly things like this.

Answer 1

I like your question because I was wondering about the same thing when I saw the word "Dickens's" in some book.
Anyway that what I have found in some grammar book:
"We sometimes just add an apostrophe (') to a singular noun ending in -s, esp. older and foreign names.
Socrates' ideas.
But it's more common.
Dickens's novels. Mr Lewis's dog

Answer 2

It's not a "silly thing". Opinions vary so much about these kinds of things. In the particular example you give, it would firstly depend on whether the name is pronounced "Loo-ee" or "Lewis".
If it is the former, I would write "Louis' cat". If the latter, I would write "Louis's cat".
It's always a problem with singulars that end in 's' - like "James' cat" or "James's cat". Either way is acceptable there, really - because "James" is a short word and there is a consonant before the 's'. But you would say "Mr Williams' cat" and "Moses' cat". The bus's wheels, the boss's desk.

Answer 3

The Government Printing Office Style Manual says to use "Louis's". You add the "'s" to all words, regardless of whether or not they already have an "s" at the end. The Manual does note some exceptions - principally ancient or Biblical names.

Apparently, some modern style manuals allow the use of only the apostrophe to denote possession of a singular word ending in "s". Some of us older than dirt do not agree at all. On the other hand, the apostrophe is so misused today it's hard to tell what it was intended to mean anyway.

Answer 4

I was taught to say "Louis' Cat"

What I always wanted to know is what if there were lots of people named Louis that owned cats would it be "Louis' Cats"? If so how do you tell the diffence? I think it doesn't really matter that much =) use the one you like better =)

Answer 5

It's Louis's cat because it's a singular person

Answer 6

I don't know. I learned in 8th grade from my English teacher that you are supposed to use 's. Even when you say Ross's shoes. But, everywhere you look people use the opposite way. My Religion professor who is a freaken genius uses the opposite way too. So i don't exactly know which way is the 100% correct way.
Sorry!

Answer 7

The dogs is louis'. could be a ideal sentence yet you could say it louis's dogs-if speaking that sentence yet another wording for the sentence could be confident this dogs belongs to louis or that dogs belongs to louis

Answer 8

You would write "Louis' cat"

Answer 9

... WIVES (very possesive)