JESUS'

            Nothing in English grammar seems to be more confusing than the uses of the apostrophe. The problem is that there are so many functions that it is called upon to perform.

            The Associated Press, which used to be the defender of grammar and syntax, has lately allowed the prose that we read in newspapers to fall into corruption. My guess is that those who knew how to speak and write English have finally retired, and a new generation that has no clue has replaced them.

            The worst offense is total loss of control over apostrophes used to indicate possession. In recent years all semblance of order in this regard seems to have been lost.

            Here are three rules that will take all the guesswork out of possessives:

            1. If it’s a singular noun, always add an apostrophe and the letter “s.” Always! Examples: Bill’s, Mary’s, Jesus’s, Socrates’s, business’s, class’s. Someone in the past objected to adding an “s” to Jesus’s name, as if it were sacrilegious or something, and then classical scholars demanded equal treatment for Socrates and Aristophanes, et al. Forget that. Just add “’s.”

            2. If it’s a plural noun and doesn’t end in “s,” add an apostrophe and the letter “s:” children’s, media’s, women’s.

            3. If it’s plural and ends in “s,” add only an apostrophe: “dogs’, businesses’, classes’, Joneses’.

            That’s not so hard, is it? Well, it works for nouns, but watch out for pronouns. There are no apostrophes in possessive pronouns like its. If you put one in, it becomes a contraction of “it is.” Other possessive pronouns include hers, his, itself, herself.

            One more caveat: don’t put apostrophes in simple plurals. You see this all the time in handmade signs and the like: Employee’s only, Kitten’s for Sale, Fresh Apple’s.
            Finally, if you’re going to tell the world who lives in your house, on your mailbox or your wrought-iron gate, avoid apostrophes. The Smith’s means belonging to one Smith, so if there are two or more of you, it should be The Smiths. Similarly, The Jone’s means belonging to one Jone. What you’re probably trying to say is The Joneses. Possessives aren’t needed to inform the world who resides in your house, but if you have to add them, use The Smiths’ or The Joneses’.