AP: Grammar Nerds Disagree On “Harris’ Or Harris’s”

The Associated Press reports: 

The Associated Press Stylebook says “use only an apostrophe” for singular proper names ending in S: Dickens’ novels, Hercules’ labors, Jesus’ life. But not everyone agrees. Is it Harris’ or Harris’s?

The selection of Walz with his sounds-like-an-s surname really ramped it up, said Benjamin Dreyer, the retired copy chief at Random House and author of “Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style”.

While there is widespread agreement that Walz’s is correct, confusion persists about Harris’ vs. Harris’s. Dreyer’s verdict? Add the ’s. the S,” he argued. That puts him on the same side as The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal — and at odds with AP.

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There’s an apostrophe battle brewing among grammar nerds. Is it Harris’ or Harris’s? pic.twitter.com/LLOgLcZSKL

— The Associated Press (@AP) August 14, 2024