Apostrophe for Singular Possessive
The Apostrophe
Rulebase Summary
Use an apostrophe and s to show possession in most singular nouns. This is the basic possessive rule — the apostrophe and s are added to the end of the singular noun.
Examples
A. The witness testimony was entered into evidence.
A. The witness's testimony was entered into evidence.
Add an apostrophe and s to a singular noun to show possession.
A. The company policy was updated last month.
A. The company's policy was updated last month.
The apostrophe and s indicate that the policy belongs to the company.
Transcript Notes
BGGP allows no exceptions to the apostrophe s rule for singular possessives — always add apostrophe s regardless of the ending letter, number of syllables, or pronunciation. This eliminates inconsistency. Pronunciation cannot be the standard for the possessive form in reporting because different speakers may pronounce the same word differently.
Style Guide References (3)
Morson's
BGGP
BGGP