2.1.6 Possessives

Possessives for most singular nouns and irregular plurals are formed by adding ’s: the temple’s layout, the journal’s policy, the child’s initiation, the woman’s account. Regular plural nouns that already end in s take only an apostrophe: the editors’ notes, the members’ papers, the lodges’ records.

Proper names ending in s, z, x, or another sibilant generally follow the same rule: add ’s. Thus: Jones’s essay, C. S. Jones’s magical record, Achad’s correspondence, Harris’s paintings. Some authors and publishers still prefer forms such as Jones’ or Harris’ by tradition, but this manual follows CMS17, §7.15–21 in using ’s unless a project style sheet requires otherwise.

For compound names or phrases treated as a single unit, add the possessive to the final element: the Master of the Temple’s obligation, the editor in chief’s decision, Frater Achad and Crowley’s correspondence if the correspondence is shared between them. If the persons or things function separately, make each possessive: Crowley’s and Jones’s interpretations differ.

When a possessive is added to an italicized title, the possessive ending remains roman: The Equinox’s publication history, Magick Without Tears’s informal tone. Awkward possessives can often be avoided by rephrasing: the publication history of The Equinox; the informal tone of Magick Without Tears.