Apostrophe for Possessive Pileup
The Apostrophe
Rulebase Summary
Use apostrophes as necessary when a speaker creates a possessive pileup — a chain of possessives where each element possesses the next. These constructions are awkward but occur in testimony and must be punctuated correctly.
Examples
A. That is my sister husband boss car.
A. That is my sister's husband's boss's car.
Each element in the chain possesses the next — every noun in the pileup needs an apostrophe and s.
A. It was the company president secretary desk.
A. It was the company's president's secretary's desk.
Possessive pileups are awkward but occur in testimony — punctuate each possessive in the chain.
Transcript Notes
Use apostrophes as necessary when a speaker creates a possessive pileup — a chain of nested possessives (my husband's first wife's brother's child; my boss's wife's secretary's office; Ford's attorneys' legal fees). Each level of possession requires its own apostrophe. Read carefully and follow the chain — the reporter's job is to record what is said, even when the construction is awkward.
Style Guide References (1)
Morson's