It happens every year — the fear, the dread, the grammar — over whether it’s Valentine’s Day, Valentines’ Day, or Valentines Day.
Nothing is worse than embarrassingly sending someone a greeting card with a misplaced apostrophe incorrectly indicating possession. It happens to the best of us, but this year, it won’t.
The following are basic rules for indicating possession. There are some exceptions, but these rules cover the vast majority of situations:
Singular nouns: Apostrophe + s
Cupid’s arrows can be sharp, so protect your vital organs this Valentine’s Day.
The chocolate’s center was filled with an icky-flavored mousse.
Plural nouns ending in s: Apostrophe only
Love potions’ scents have been known to cause nausea.
Did you know that Valentine’s Day is also Singles’ Awareness Day?
Plural nouns that do not end in s: Apostrophe + s
When dealing with an obsessed admirer, it’s best to have the police’s phone number handy.
Throw out your Valentine’s Day cards sneakily, so you don’t hurt people’s feelings.
Personal pronouns: + s
I’m yours if you’ll be mine.
Cupid has a golden harp, but he’ll break your fingers if you touch its strings.(Pro tip: Don’t get confused by “it’s vs. its”!)
For joint possession: Only the last noun is possessive
Whatever you do, don’t bring your date over to your mom and dad’s house.
Bob and Susan’s date started to go downhill after Bob sang at the karaoke bar.
For separate possession: Make each noun possessive
My brother’s and sister’s weddings were both on Valentine’s Day (different years, of course).
Jenny’s and Lucy’s blind dates were lame, so they went to a movie with each other instead.
