Tag: Christmas Cards

Categories
Grammar and Grace

Three Simple Rules for Pluralizing Names

The holiday season is approaching, and it’s time for a post about the correct way to make proper names plural.

Here are three simple rules to follow for writing names correctly and making sure your cards convey the happy messages you intend.

  1. Add an s to a proper noun that doesn’t end in s to make it plural.

Langston = Langstons
Paterline = Paterlines
Haddock = Haddocks

  1. Don’t change the spelling of a proper noun to make the plural.

Dougherty = Doughertys (not Dougherties)

  1.  Add es to a name that ends in s, x, z, ch, or sh to make it plural.

Capps = Cappses ( I know it looks strange, but trust me.)
Wellons=Wellonses
Edwards = Edwardses
Crews = Crewses
Rakiewicz = Rakiewiczes

Notice that at no time have I used an apostrophe. I haven’t used one because I’m making the names plural, not possessive.

Three rules.

That’s all you need to write your Christmas cards correctly. If you can’t bring yourself to add the es to someone’s name or you can’t bring yourself to leave off the apostrophe, there’s always an easy fallback…

Merry Christmas from the Dougherty Family!

Hope Toler Dougherty holds a Master’s degree in English and taught at East Carolina University and York Technical College. Her publications include three novels, Irish Encounter,  Mars…With Venus Rising, and Rescued Hearts, as well as nonfiction articles. A member of ACFW, RWA, and SinC, she writes for SeriousWriter.com. She and her husband live in North Carolina and enjoy visits with their two daughters and twin sons. Visit her at hopetolerdougherty.com.

 

Categories
Grammar and Grace

How to Pluralize Names for Christmas Cards–Re-Mix

We’re still a few days away from Thanksgiving, but we sometimes receive Christmas cards a few days after celebrating with turkey and dressing. For all the super organized people who like to get things done early, I’m re-posting  the following blog from last year–and because I’m still seeing names with apostrophes in all the wrong places.

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

I love Christmas. I especially love sending and receiving Christmas cards. We send out a lot from our house, and we receive a lot in return. We always include a picture of the whole family. The pictures we receive from our friends find a place on our refrigerator and adorn it all year.

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I don’t, however, love the envelopes addressed to The Dougherty’s or closings that read, Love from the Jones’. Ack!! I’m happy to hear from old friends, but I can’t stop my toes from curling when I see those errant apostrophes.

Here are some simple rules to follow so that you can write names correctly and make sure your cards convey the happy messages you intend.

  1. Add an s to a proper noun that doesn’t end in s to make it plural.

Langston = Langstons
Maurer = Maurers
Tate = Tates

  1. Don’t change the spelling of a proper noun to make the plural.

Dougherty = Doughertys (not Dougherties)

3.  Add es to a name that ends in s, x, z, ch, or sh to make it plural.

Capps = Cappses ( I know it looks strange, but trust me.)
Edwards = Edwardses
Fox = Foxes
Rakiewicz = Rakiewiczes

Notice that at no time have I used an apostrophe. I haven’t used one because I’m making the names plural, not possessive.

Three rules.

That’s all you need to write your Christmas cards correctly. If you can’t bring yourself to add the es to someone’s name or you can’t bring yourself to leave off the apostrophe, there’s always an easy fallback…Love from The Dougherty Family.