2007-11-15 05:57:16 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Thomas' is correct.
Thomas's would be grammatically incorrect. It's even being highlighted by Firefox's spell check as I'm writing this.
EDIT: To 'theark' below: The Chicago Manual of Style is a style guide for American English prescribing a writing style widely used in publishing. In other words they dumb-down the English language so it looks more user friendly for the majority idiot American public. The fact remains that Thomas's is grammatically incorrect regardless of the opinion of a crappy, flowery, sanctimonious publisher's manual.
Next you'll be saying that, 'Ho' is actually the new correct spelling of 'whore' because it's in the urban dictionary.
2007-11-15 06:00:38 · answer #1 · answered by Really???!!!! 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Thomas'
2007-11-19 06:34:03 · answer #2 · answered by Nina, BaC 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thomas'
2007-11-15 14:08:20 · answer #3 · answered by Kaliko 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Thomas's
2007-11-15 14:07:48 · answer #4 · answered by novangelis 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There is not agreement. The "Associated Press Stylebook" says just add the apostrophe, so Thomas' is possessive.
But the "Chicago Manual of Style, which most editors use, prefers Thomas's.
I'm an editor and personally, I use Thomas's.
EDIT: Never assume a spell checker is correct. They're not. And never look a word up just by googling it. There are misspellings all over the Internet. Use the Merriam-Webster's or other good dictionary.
EDIT #2: I just checked Strunk, "The Elements of Style." They like Thomas's, unless it's an ancient name. So Moses' or Achilles'. Go figure.
2007-11-15 14:05:12 · answer #5 · answered by theark 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I believe Thomas' is the most correct, but either is acceptable.
2007-11-15 14:00:55 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Speaking as a person whose maiden name ends in an s and whose spouse's name ends in an s, Thomas' is correct. If a paper gave me an s's, I'd correct them.
If I recall correctly, this is one that Strunk and White blows, btw.
BTW: anyone else hate the abuse of 's by people? If they just forgot to add it, ever, they'd be right more often.
BTW, redux: I am also an editor.
2007-11-15 14:06:45 · answer #7 · answered by LabGrrl 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
"Thomas'" is the only correct possessive form of a mutisyllabic word ending in an "s."
2007-11-15 14:05:07 · answer #8 · answered by LineDancer 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Thomas's? Thomas'? Thomases? Thomaseses? Ramses? Rameses? Purple Monkey Dishwasher?
Ouch... my head hurts.
I think it's the latter of the two you asked about.
I'm gonna go dig up some aspirin now.
2007-11-15 14:01:53 · answer #9 · answered by ಠ__ಠ 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋