English Majors...

[Cajuncowboy]

OK, so here's the question...


If the name of a company is called

Dawgs and you wanted to say try Dawgs music service would you write Dawgs as Dawg's or Dawgs'.

I think it's the latter but I am having a disagreement with someone. Since the official name of the company is Dawgs (with an "s") wouldn't the possessive of the name be Dawgs' (With the ' after the "S" in Dawgs?

 

[WoodysGirl]

OK, so here's the question...


If the name of a company is called

Dawgs and you wanted to say try Dawgs music service would you write Dawgs as Dawg's or Dawgs'.

I think it's the latter but I am having a disagreement with someone. Since the official name of the company is Dawgs (with an "s") wouldn't the possessive of the name be Dawgs' (With the ' after the "S" in Dawgs?

The proper way would be Dawgs' if you were using Dawgs by itself. Ex. Go to Dawgs' website or something like that.

However, I believe it should simply be "Dawgs Music Service," because that's the name of the company and that's the context of which you're using it.

 

[Cajuncowboy]

The proper way would be Dawgs' if you were using Dawgs by itself. Ex. Go to Dawgs' website or something like that.

However, I believe it should simply be "Dawgs Music Service," because that's the name of the company and that's the context of which you're using it.

Got it. Makes sense. But you would not use Dawg's at all, correct?

 

[Route 66]

It all depends on the possession. Is Dawgs really Dawg who possesses or is it that the name is Dawgs? It makes all the difference in the world. If it is Dawg then its Dawg's showing possession just like "Joe's Crab Shack".

 

[Cajuncowboy]

It all depends on the possession. Is Dawgs really Dawg who possesses or is it that the name is Dawgs? It makes all the difference in the world. If it is Dawg then its Dawg's showing possession just like "Joe's Crab Shack".

The official name is Dawgs.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Got it. Makes sense. But you would not use Dawg's at all, correct?

I wouldn't.

The deciding factor for me is that the name of the company is Dawgs Music Service and you're not trying to shorten it in this context.

 

[WoodysGirl]

The official name is Dawgs.

Well that changes it a bit... I thought the name of the company was Dawgs Music Service.

If it's just Dawgs, then I would probably use Dawgs'

 

[JD_KaPow]

Got it. Makes sense. But you would not use Dawg's at all, correct?

Dawg's would always be wrong.

 

[Hostile]

Got it. Makes sense. But you would not use Dawg's at all, correct?

Exactly.

 

[Cajuncowboy]

Well that changes it a bit... I thought the name of the company was Dawgs Music Service.

If it's just Dawgs, then I would probably use Dawgs'

It's actually Dawgs Inc. but Dawgs is the public name. The music service is one aspect of the business.

 

[bbgun]

Don't bother with apostrophes; "Dawgs" will suffice. Think of it like "Starbucks Coffee."

 

[WoodysGirl]

Don't bother with apostrophes; "Dawgs" will suffice. Think of it like "Starbucks Coffee."

I would agree with this...

~world tilting~

 

[Wimbo]

Don't bother with apostrophes; "Dawgs" will suffice. Think of it like "Starbucks Coffee."

Not really... "Starbucks Coffee" is the name of the business, just like "Dawgs" is the name of the business in question. His question is in relation to posession of an object or service by the company, Dawgs. If you related that to Starbucks Coffee, you would say "Starbucks Coffee's music service" or "Starbucks Coffee's accounting department".

In this case if I read it correctly, he wants to know how to us an apostrophe to indicate possession (rather than letter replacement or plurals). So the question is, when a proper name ends in an "s", how do you show possession?

He can either use Dawgs' or Dawgs's. Here is why:

In this case there is a singular noun that ends in an "s", Dawgs. To make a singular noun posessive, you would typically add an 's (even if the word ends in an s).
So, Dawgs's is actually the more formal way to do it, but is is widely agreed that in situations where it makes the word difficult to say ( Dawgs's pronounced dogs-ses) , then you can write it as Dawgs'. It really depends on how you want it pronounced... dogs-ses, or dogs.

Typically, however, adding an apostrophe at the end of the word is only for adding possession to a plural noun that ends with an S.

 

[bbgun]

Not really... "Starbucks Coffee" is the name of the business, just like "Dawgs" is the name of the business in question. His question is in relation to posession of an object or service by the company, Dawgs. If you related that to Starbucks Coffee, you would say "Starbucks Coffee's music service" or "Starbucks Coffee's accounting department".

You're unnecessarily complicating things. I'm assuming he's talking about a name for a sign or masthead of some sort. If so, the rules of grammar become much more lax. You moved the goalposts when you added "accounting department," but we're not dealing with that kind of specificity. This a company name, not the contents of an internal memo. In my analogy, "Coffee" is the same as "Music Shop." Apostrophes become relevant when you expand beyond that, but that's not the case here.

 

[Route 66]

I can't wait for the thread about the proper use of commas.

 

[PosterChild]

I can't wait for the thread about the proper use of commas.

The anticipation has me tingly as well. And I'm equally excited about some discussion on the distinction betwixt then and than.

Don't even get me started on Sin Tax...

 

[Cajuncowboy]

I can't wait for the thread about the proper use of commas.

:laugh2:

This is probably one of things that Hos is tired of.

 

[AbeBeta]

Dawgs' or Dawgs's is correct

But Dawgs's looks stupid.

 

[Dawgs0916]

Well, I love the name of the company. If that helps

 

[CF74]

Here ya go:


http://www.grammarphobia.com/books_woe.html