masters thesis apostrophe

Master Thesis or Master’s Thesis – Which Is Correct?

When an individual pursues a degree, they frequently have to produce a thesis, as part of the requirements to graduate. What is the correct form to talk about it? Should we say “Master Thesis” or “Master’s Thesis”?

Take a look at the examples below:

“Master’s Thesis” is the complete, correct form we should use, in any circumstance, to talk about the thesis a graduate must prepare to meet the requirements to graduate.

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Master Thesis

“Master Thesis” is a common incorrect form for the phrase “Master’s Thesis”. It’s a misspelling that lacks the apostrophe – which would be what indicates to whom the thesis belongs. It’s simply incorrect and incomplete, and should always be avoided.

Take a look at the examples below, that show “Master Thesis” being used incorrectly, followed by a corrected version of the same sentence:

“Master Thesis” is an incomplete form. It’s not an awful grammatical mistake, but it makes an immense difference in how a message sent by an expression is perceived.

“Master Thesis” is meant to indicate who’s the master of the thesis, and without the appropriate possessive form, it’s not possible to be accomplished. You should always avoid using “Master Thesis”.

Master’s Thesis

“Master’s Thesis”, with the apostrophe, is the correct form for this phrase. Because it contains the appropriate possessive form, it makes it clear to whom the thesis belongs. It’s complete and acceptable. You should always use this form to talk about any “Master’s Thesis”, in any scenario.

Masters Thesis

“Masters Thesis”, with an “s” after “Master” is just another incorrect form for the phrase “Master’s Thesis”. By adding the “s” without an apostrophe, this expression fails to indicate to whom the thesis belongs. It’s incorrect and should always be avoided.

Let’s go over some examples that show “Masters Thesis” being used incorrectly, followed by a corrected version of the same sentence:

Which Is Used the Most?

Which one of those forms is used more often, “Master Thesis”, “Masters Thesis”, or “Master’s thesis”? Take a look at the graph from Google Ngram Viewer below.

The correct form “Master’s Thesis”, with the appropriate possessive form, is the prevalent phrase, which people use more frequently.

Final Thoughts

“Master’s Thesis” is an expression that means “the thesis of a master”. Because of the strong sense of belonging it presents, it’s important to use it with the correct possessive form, including an apostrophe. “Master’s Thesis” is the correct form. “Master Thesis” is incorrect and should always be avoided.

Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here .

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Use master thesis or master's thesis

Is this sentence correct?

Master thesis to obtain the degree Master of Science

I am really not sure about the 's here.

• possessives

• 2 You can search a corpus such as COCA: master thesis - master's thesis –  user230 Commented May 28, 2014 at 14:03
• Seems redundant to me. If you name the degree, the purpose of the thesis is already clear. –  Tyler James Young Commented May 28, 2014 at 14:43
• At EL&U: Is there an apostrophe in a master's degree? –  choster Commented May 28, 2014 at 18:34
• For a start, it's not a sentence, just a fragment of one. –  starsplusplus Commented May 29, 2014 at 19:36

As suggested by snailplane , corpus searches are a good way to get a handle on which one is preferred.

• Google Books Ngram Viewer prefers master's thesis by a roughly six to one margin at the year 2000.
• The Corpus of Contemporary American English prefers master's thesis ( 212 to 6 ).
• The Corpus of Global Web Based English prefers master's thesis (384 to 82). Sorry, no direct query links here, since the site uses iframes and I'm too lazy to dig the URLs out. Search master 's thesis (note the space before the apostrophe) and master thesis . This one is a nice corpus because it breaks usages up by country.
• The Time Magazine Corpus prefers master's thesis 23 to 0 (same search guidelines as above).

I also searched many an exclusively British corpus, but without yielding any meaningful results.

The relevant ELU question that choster linked discusses master's degree , which has the same form as master's thesis . The question is about apostrophe usage, but note that nobody suggested it should be master degree .

Grammatically speaking, master's thesis unequivocally means a thesis of a master . Master thesis can be read the same way, but also as primary, principle or main thesis .

Stick with master's thesis .

• 1 It seems like every single chair of my (German) university's CS department uses Master thesis and it's making me question my sanity -- thanks for this. –  user134593 Commented Sep 26, 2018 at 11:14

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Master Thesis or Master’s Thesis?

The correct term to refer to a thesis produced for a master’s degree is master’s thesis . E.g., “His master’s thesis focused on mosquito biting patterns.” The term master thesis is less common, and some regard it as incorrect. However, you can also interpret it as the primary thesis .

The correct grammatical version is master’s thesis . Furthermore, this version is far more common than the version without an apostrophe.

• I wrote a master’s thesis in less than a month

You need the apostrophe to show that the thesis belongs to the master in the same way you need the apostrophe to say that the student belongs to the master’s program when you write:

• Master’s student

Furthermore, you will see people using the term master thesis , which is incorrect if you want to say the thesis belongs to the student.

However, the problem with the term master thesis is that it can be grammatically correct , but only if you interpret the word master as an adjective describing the thesis .

Therefore, instead of being a thesis belonging to the master’s program , it becomes the master , as in main, primary, or principal.

• He wrote a master thesis on the social impacts of inflation.

Now you have learned the basics regarding the correct version of master’s thesis . Keep reading the rest of the page to learn more about how you can avoid making mistakes with master’s thesis and master thesis .

Master’s Thesis

The term master’s thesis is the correct version to state the thesis belongs to the master’s student.

To indicate possession of the thesis by the student, you need to include an apostrophe to create a singular possessive.

Take a look at these examples to see how to correctly use master’s thesis :

• Her master’s thesis helped her secure a job with the government.
• His master’s thesis focused on the impacts of climate change in coastal regions.
• She received high praise from her professors for the originality of her master’s thesis .
• The research he conducted for his master’s thesis was later published in a renowned scientific journal.
• After months of hard work, she finally submitted her master’s thesis to the university’s review committee.

Furthermore, you do not need to use a capital letter for master’s or thesis .

Master Thesis

The term master thesis is a little tricky because it can be correct and incorrect.

Firstly, to indicate that the thesis belongs to the master’s student , which is a noun, using master thesis is grammatically incorrect. You need to use the apostrophe in the sentence to indicate ownership.

However, although this is the case, some people still use the version without an apostrophe for the same purpose.

• Incorrect: She is presenting her master thesis this afternoon.
• Correct: She is presenting her master’s thesis this afternoon.

Secondly, if you interpret the word master as an adjective, then you could, in theory, say:

• She just finished writing a master thesis on pollution.

In the example above, you can interpret the word master as a synonym for primary.

Finally, if you write the full name of a degree program , you need to use Master with no apostrophe and a capital letter.

• He wrote a Master of Science thesis on bacterial infections.

You will see in the above example that Master has a capital letter and thesis does not. This is because we are referring to the master’s program in full, but we refer to the thesis in a general sense.

However, in some cases, such as on the front cover, you also need to capitalize thesis .

• The front cover of my thesis says Master of Arts Thesis in big, bold letters.

Masters Thesis

The term masters thesis is incorrect because it is missing the apostrophe that shows that the thesis belongs to the master’s student.

• Incorrect: The masters thesis was written extremely badly.
• Correct: The master’s thesis was written extremely badly.

Without the “s” at the end of master , there are some circumstances in which it can be correct without an apostrophe. However, with the “s” included, it is wrong to omit the apostrophe.

Masters’ Thesis

The term masters’ thesis is wrong because the thesis belongs to either a master’s student or a master’s degree. Therefore, using the plural possessive form rather than the singular possessive is incorrect.

• Incorrect: Her masters’ thesis was the best I have ever read.
• Correct: Her master’s thesis was the best I have ever read.

In addition, if you want to mention multiple theses , you should use the plural form of thesis:

• I have to grade four master’s theses this weekend.
• The university library has copies of all the master’s theses from the past decade.
• Among the master’s theses I’ve read, hers had the most compelling arguments.
• The department will showcase excerpts from this year’s top master’s theses during the annual seminar.

That’s all we have for you today! By the end of this article, all your doubts about how to use the word master’s thesis correctly should be cleared out.

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Understanding “Master Thesis” vs. “Master’s Thesis”

When it comes to academic writing, every detail matters, including how we refer to the comprehensive paper required to complete a master’s degree. This brings us to a common point of confusion: should it be “Master Thesis” or “Master’s Thesis”?

In this guide, we will dive into the distinction between these terms, focusing on the correct usage and providing examples to clarify this for everyone.

“Master’s Thesis” (Singular Possessive)

The term “Master’s Thesis” is the correct form when referring to the final project submitted by a student to fulfill the requirements of a master’s degree. The apostrophe followed by an “s” (‘s) signifies possession, meaning the thesis of a master’s degree program.

• (The deadline for submitting the thesis for a master’s degree)
• (The set of rules for writing the thesis for a master’s degree)
• (The act of presenting and defending the thesis for a master’s degree)

“Master Thesis” (Incorrect/Common Misuse)

“Master Thesis” might sometimes be used informally or in error, omitting the possessive apostrophe that indicates the thesis belongs to the master’s degree framework. However, the correct and widely accepted term in academic circles is “Master’s Thesis.”

Read More: Understanding Boy’s, Boys’, and Boys: A Simple Guide

“Masters’ Thesis” (Plural Possessive) – A Note

While “Masters’ Thesis” might seem like a logical construction if thinking about theses from multiple masters, it’s not a standard term. Each thesis is associated with one individual’s master’s degree, making the singular possessive “Master’s Thesis” the appropriate choice.

Understanding the Difference: A Table

To simplify, here’s a table that breaks down the correct usage:

Tips for Remembering the Correct Form

• Think Possession: Remember that the thesis belongs to the master’s degree framework, hence “Master’s Thesis.”
• Singular Form: Even if referring to theses from multiple students, each thesis is for a single degree. Therefore, “Master’s Thesis” remains singular possessive.
• Academic Standards: Always follow the academic standard and use “Master’s Thesis” in formal writing, applications, and discussions.

Understanding the correct term to use can influence not only the precision of your academic writing but also how it is received by academic and professional audiences. “Master’s Thesis” is not just about grammar; it’s about acknowledging the effort and research that culminates in fulfilling the requirements of a master’s degree. Hopefully, this guide has made the usage clear and will help you in your academic endeavors.

Ethan Richards is currently an English instructor at a university. She has experience in teaching and assessing English tests including TOEFL, IELTS, BULATS, FCE, CAE, and PTEG . With over a decade of teaching expertise, Ethan Richards  utilizes his knowledge to develop English lessons for her audience on English Overview.

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Masters-Thesis-Possessive

Master’s thesis:.

Navigating the Possessive Apostrophe

In the realm of academia, the master’s thesis stands as a pinnacle of scholarly achievement—a culmination of years of diligent study, research, and analysis. As students embark on this arduous journey, one seemingly simple yet surprisingly contentious aspect often arises: the possessive apostrophe. In this article, we delve into the nuances of mastering the possessive apostrophe in the context of crafting a master’s thesis.

Understanding the Possessive Apostrophe

Before delving into the intricacies of its application within the realm of academic writing, let us first unravel the essence of the possessive apostrophe. At its core, the possessive apostrophe serves as a linguistic beacon, guiding readers to discern ownership or association between entities.

Masters-thesis-possessive:

In the formulation of titles, the possessive apostrophe often finds its place, signaling the author’s claim over the intellectual endeavor encapsulated within the thesis. For instance, “John’s Master’s Thesis” unequivocally denotes the authorship of John in crafting the scholarly opus.

Navigating the Terrain:

Practical Guidelines

In navigating the labyrinth of possessive apostrophes, aspiring scholars can benefit from adhering to a few pragmatic guidelines:

Embracing Mastery

In the quest for mastery, scholars embark on a journey fraught with challenges and triumphs. Within the realm of academic writing, the possessive apostrophe emerges as both ally and adversary—a symbol of ownership and attribution, yet also a source of perplexity.

• Apostrophes and Quotation Marks

Apostrophes

• a student’s paper
• one hour’s passing
• Illinois’s law
• interviewees’ answers
• her professors’ office (an office shared by two of her professors; if it were just one professor we would write  her professor’s office )

Contractions

A contraction is a shortened phrase. He will  becomes  he’ll ,  are not becomes  aren’t , would have becomes would’ve , and  it is becomes  it’s . In all of these cases, the apostrophe stands in for the missing letters.

You may find yourself being steered away from using contractions in your papers. While you should write to your teacher’s preference, keep in mind that leaving out contractions can often make your words sound over formal and stilted. (And you shouldn’t eliminate contractions in your papers just to up your word count!)

Your versus You’re

• Your v. you’re
• Its v. it’s
• Their v. they’re

All three of these pairs are the same kind of pair: a possessive pronoun and a contracted version of a pronoun + to be ( you’re =  you are ;  it’s =  it is ;  they’re =  they are ). These are easy to mix up (especially its / it’s ) because—as we’ve learned—an apostrophe +  s indicates possession. The best way to use these correctly is to remember that possessive pronouns never have an apostrophe: if there’s an apostrophe with a pronoun, it’s a contraction, not a possessive.

Acronyms and Numbers

In technical writing, acronyms and numbers are frequently pluralized with the addition of an apostrophe  s , but this is falling out of favor, and there is typically no need to put an apostrophe in front of the s . Therefore, SSTs  (sea surface temperatures) is more acceptable than SST’s  when your intention is simply to pluralize.

Ideally, use the apostrophe before the s  with an acronym or a number only to show possession (i.e., “an 1860’s law”; “DEP’s testing”) or when confusion would otherwise result (“mind your p ’s and q ’s”).

When talking about a specific decade the 1920s should be shortened to  the ’20s . Notice that the apostrophe curls away from the numbers, indicating that the missing characters originally appeared prior to the apostrophe.

Read the following passage. Identify any errors with apostrophes. Type the corrected words in the text frame below:

Thanks to  NASAs’ team of sniffers, led by George Aldrich, astronauts can breathe a little bit easier. Aldrich is the “chief sniffer” at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. His’s job is to smell items before they can be flown in the space shuttle.

Aldrich explained that smells change in space and that once astronauts are up there, their  stuck with whatever smells are onboard with them. In space, astronauts aren’t able to open the window for extra ventilation. He also said that its important not to introduce substances that will change the delicate balance of the climate of the International Space Station and the space shuttle.

NASAs’ should be NASA’s .  His’s doesn’t need the apostrophe +  s . In fact, possessive pronouns don’t require apostrophes at all.  His’s should be  His .  Their is a possessive pronoun; the correct word is  they’re , which is a contraction of the words  they are .  Its is a possessive pronoun; the correct word is  it’s , which is a contraction of the words  it is .

The contraction  aren’t is used correctly in the passage.

Quotation Marks

• He said “I’ll never forget you.” It was the best moment of my life.
• Yogi Berra famously said, “A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.”

If you’re just writing an approximation of something a person said, you would  not use quotation marks:

• She told me about Pizza the three-toed sloth yesterday.
• He said that he would be late today.

The second is when you’re calling attention to a word. For example:

• I can never say “Worcestershire” correctly.
• How do you spell “definitely”?

Note: It is this course’s preference to use italics in these instances:

• I can never say  Worcestershire correctly.
• How do you spell  definitely ?

However, using quotes is also an accepted practice.

The last use is scare quotes. This is the most misused type of quotation marks. People often think that quotation marks mean emphasis.

• Buy some “fresh” chicken today!
• We’ll give it our “best” effort.
• Employees “must” wash their hands before returning to work.

However, when used this way, the quotation marks insert a silent “so-called” into the sentence, which is often the opposite of the intended meaning.

Where do Quotation Marks Go?

Despite what you may see practiced, the fact is that the period and comma always go inside the quotation marks. (The rules in British English are different, which may be where some of the confusion arises.)

• Correct: The people of the pine barrens are often called “pineys.”
• Incorrect: The people of the pine barrens are often called “pineys”.

The semicolon, colon, dash, question mark, and exclamation point can fall insider outside of the quotation marks, depending on whether the punctuation is a part of the original quote:

• This measurement is commonly known as “dip angle”; dip angle is the angle formed between a normal plane and a vertical.
• Built only 50 years ago, Shakhtinsk—“minetown”—is already seedy.
• When she was asked the question “Are rainbows possible in winter?” she answered by examining whether raindrops freeze at temperatures below 0 °C. (Quoted material has its own punctuation.)
• Did he really say “Dogs are the devil’s henchmen”? (The quote is a statement, but the full sentence is a question.)

Has the following passage been punctuated correctly? Type any corrections in the text frame below:

Gabrielly and Marcelo both knew a lot of “fun facts” that they liked to share with each other. Yesterday Gabrielly said to Marcelo, “Did you know that wild turkeys can run up to twenty-five miles per hour?”

“Well, an emu can run twice that speed,” Marcelo responded.

“Did you know that there’s a dinosaur-themed park in Poland called JuraPark Bałtów”? Gabrielly asked.

Marcelo then told her about “Rusik, the first Russian police sniffer cat, who helped search for illegal cargoes of fish and caviar”.

The first set, around  fun facts , may or may not be appropriate. If the intent is to emphasize the facts, then the quotes are incorrect. However, if you want to indicate that the facts aren’t actually fun (and possibly annoying), the quotes are appropriate.

The second and third sets are used correctly, and their surrounding punctuation is also correct. Remember, commas always go inside quotation marks.

The fourth set starts correctly; however, the question mark at the end should be inside the quotation marks, since the quote is a question.

“Did you know that there’s a dinosaur-themed park in Poland called JuraPark Bałtów?” Gabrielly asked.

The fifth set surrounds an approximation of what Marcelo said. This means no quotation marks are needed. However, even if the quotes were needed, the sentence would still be incorrect: periods always go inside quotation marks.

• Marcelo then told her about Rusik, the first Russian police sniffer cat, who helped search for illegal cargoes of fish and caviar.
• Marcelo then said, “Rusik, the first Russian police sniffer cat, helped search for illegal cargoes of fish and caviar.”
• Revision and Adaptation. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• Original Icons. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Quotation Practice Activity. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Style For Students Online. Authored by : Joe Schall. Provided by : The Pennsylvania State University. Located at : https://www.e-education.psu.edu/styleforstudents/ . Project : Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences' OER Initiative. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• George Aldrich (errors added). Provided by : NASA. Located at : http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/support/people/galdrich.html . Project : Behind the Scenes: Meet the People. License : Public Domain: No Known Copyright
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Apostrophes and Quotation Marks in PhD Theses

Posted by Rene Tetzner | Nov 6, 2023 | PhD Success | 0 |

5.6.3 Apostrophes and Quotation Marks

Apostrophes. Apostrophes are used primarily in formal scholarly prose to indicate possession. A standard singular possessive (or genitive) is formed by adding an apostrophe and an ‘s’ (’s) to the end of a word, but in some cases and especially for plural forms, an apostrophe alone is added; more rarely, an ‘s’ alone is added and, most rarely, ‘se’ is added. Because the correct format for the genitive of any particular word is somewhat unpredictable and is in many cases based on pronunciation or euphony, it can at times be difficult to decide what the correct format should be, especially for doctoral candidates who are not native speakers of English. To help with your decisions in this regard, the list below outlines situations in which each possessive form should be used. If you are uncomfortable with these rules and exceptions, you may want to opt for an alternative method (mentioned in the Chicago Manual of Style , 2003, pp.283–284) of using an apostrophe and an ‘s’ in most cases, but omitting the additional ‘s’ whenever a word already ends with an ‘s.’ However, as this much simpler approach does not take pronunciation into consideration, many scholars will not find it acceptable, so do seek approval from your department or thesis committee before deciding upon this compromise.

Add an apostrophe and an ‘s’ to:

• Singular nouns: ‘the man’s suit’ and ‘the glass’s contents.’
• Singular proper nouns/names referring to people, places and businesses: ‘Samantha’s house,’ ‘James’s book,’ ‘Marx’s theory,’ ‘Canada’s provinces,’ and ‘a Levi’s outlet.’
• Indefinite or impersonal pronouns such as ‘one,’ ‘anyone’ and ‘everything’: ‘one must follow one’s instincts’ or ‘it could be anyone’s apartment.’
• Singular acronyms and initialisms: ‘WHO’s policies,’ with ‘WHO’ standing for ‘World Health Organization,’ or ‘the MLA’s style,’ with ‘MLA’ standing for the ‘Modern Language Association’ (on abbreviations, see Section 6.3 below).
• Singular dates: ‘2013’s warmest day’ and ‘2001’s memorable disaster.’
• Plural nouns that do not end with an ‘s’: ‘women’s clothing’ and ‘the children’s playground.’

Add an apostrophe alone to:

• Plural nouns that end with an ‘s’: ‘the cats’ collars’ and ‘the participants’ scores.’
• Plural proper nouns/names that end with an ‘s’: ‘the Taylors’ house’ and ‘the Fergussons’ business.’
• Plural acronyms and initialisms that end with an ‘s’: ‘KIs (key informants) were used in the study and the KIs’ responses were recorded’ (see Section 6.3.6 below).
• Plural dates that end with an ‘s’: ‘the 1960s’ biggest concert’ and ‘the 1970s’ polyester styles.’
• Singular nouns that end with an ‘s’ sound if the extra ‘s’ would make pronunciation difficult: ‘the oasis’ trees.’
• Singular proper nouns/names that end with an ‘s’ sound if the additional ‘s’ would make pronunciation difficult and particularly if the name is long and not accented on one of the last two syllables: ‘Nicholas’ thesis.’
• Singular proper nouns/names of two or more syllables in which the last syllable is pronounced ‘iz’ or ‘eez’: ‘Bridges’ study’ and ‘the Ganges’ bank.’
• Singular nouns and names in French ending with a silent ‘s’ to avoid an awkward or misleading appearance: ‘Descartes’ words’ and ‘the marquis’ inheritance.’
• Classical names ending with ‘s’ or ‘es’: ‘Socrates’ words’ and ‘Dionysus’ rituals.’ For short classical names, the additional ‘s’ can be used, however (Zeus’s influence), and when classical names are used in scientific contexts, the extra ‘s’ is usually included: ‘Mars’s canals.’
• Singular nouns and names ending with an ‘s’ sound and used along with ‘sake’: ‘for goodness’ sake’ and ‘for Jesus’ sake.’ In ‘for old times’ sake,’ the word ‘times’ is plural, so only the apostrophe is added there as well.
• Names of places or organisations that take a plural form (or whose last element takes a plural form) ending with an ‘s’ even though the place or organisation is singular: ‘the United States’ president’ and ‘the Centre for Medieval Studies’ programmes.’

Add an ‘s’ alone to:

• The personal pronouns ‘our,’ ‘your,’ ‘her’ and ‘their.’ Although these are already possessive forms (‘our home,’ ‘your thesis’ etc.), an ‘s’ can be added for a somewhat different use of the possessive: ‘the house is ours,’ ‘the thesis is yours,’ ‘the cat is hers’ and ‘the car is theirs.’
• The pronoun ‘it’: ‘the azalea lost its flowers in the storm.’ Please note that when both an apostrophe and an ‘s’ are added to ‘it,’ the result is not a possessive, but a contraction meaning either ‘it is’ or ‘it has.’
• Names of wars known by their length: ‘the Hundred Years War,’ not ‘the Hundred Years’ War’ or ‘the Hundred Year War.’
• Names of some businesses and institutions, whether singular or plural, that were originally possessive, but are now generally written without an apostrophe: ‘a Woolworths store’ and ‘the Citizens Advice Bureau.’

Add ‘se’ to:

• The relative pronoun ‘who’: ‘the woman whose husband died.’ ‘Whose’ can also serve as the possessive of ‘which’: ‘the tree whose branches broke in the storm.’

When forming the possessive of compound nouns or ‘of’ phrases, the possessive indicator should be added after the last noun, using both an apostrophe and an ‘s’ if that noun is singular – ‘my daughter-in-law’s party’ and ‘the Queen of England’s doctor’ – but an apostrophe alone if it is plural: ‘Medieval Studies’ programmes’ and ‘the president of the United States’ speech.’ For a set of linked nouns, the apostrophe and ‘s’ should be added only after the last noun if the nouns are acting together in terms of meaning, as is the case with the joint authors of a single piece of writing or the joint owners of property: ‘Smith, Jones and Taylor’s book,’ ‘Beaumont and Fletcher’s comedy’ and ‘my sister and brother-in-law’s business.’ If, however, linked nouns are acting separately, the apostrophe and ‘s’ should be added to the end of each of the nouns: ‘Smith’s and Dobson’s different studies on the subject,’ ‘Sidney’s and Shakespeare’s sonnets’ and ‘my sister’s and brother-in-law’s perspectives differ.’

To indicate a residence or place of business without actually mentioning the residence or business, a possessive name or noun can be used: for a singular, an apostrophe and ‘s’ is used (‘she is driving to the doctor’s’ and ‘I am going to dinner at Mary’s’) and for a plural, an apostrophe alone is used (she went to a barbeque at the Masons’). Possessives can also indicate the length of a period of time in both the singular and the plural: ‘a moment’s notice’ and ‘in six days’ time.’ This possessive is not used, however, in similar adjectival constructions: ‘she is six months pregnant.’ A possessive form can also be used along with ‘of’ in a kind of double possessive when one of several things of the same kind is intended – ‘a speech of Harper’s’ and ‘a book of Sarah’s’ – and in some cases this construction can significantly alter the meaning: note the difference, for example, between ‘a photo of Fred’ and ‘a photo of Fred’s.’ This type of possessive tends to be used only with personal names or nouns relating to living people and it does not generally occur with standard nouns or when referring to an organisation or institution: for example, ‘a window of the building’ and ‘a friend of Hereford Cathedral’ are correct.

The nouns or pronouns that precede gerunds present particularly thorny problems when it comes to deciding upon whether a possessive should be used or not. In some cases, the possessive definitely should not be used: in ‘Students applying for library cards should line up at the front desk,’ the ‘Students’ are the subjects, but an apostrophe on that word would imply that ‘applying’ was the subject and would therefore be incorrect. In other cases, a possessive is clearly necessary: in ‘Richard’s driving saved them from the pile up,’ for instance, it is Richard’s ‘driving’ that is the subject of the sentence, so his name acts as an adjective and should take the possessive form, which happens, in this case, to sound natural. In ‘The mother worried about her daughters’ going to the nightclub alone,’ however, the plural possessive (daughters’) might seem awkward or even pedantic to some authors and readers, and the apostrophe will therefore often be omitted. Both forms are acceptable, however: the possessive emphasises the ‘going’ as the object of the mother’s worry, while ‘daughters’ without the apostrophe emphasises the ‘daughters’ as the objects of worry. Imagining a sentence with the noun in question replaced by the relevant pronoun can be helpful: in my first two examples above, for instance, ‘Their’ instead of ‘Students’ and ‘He’ instead of ‘Richard’s’ make nonsense of the sentences, confirming that a possessive is not needed in the first case, but is in the second. In the third example, however, ‘their going’ for ‘daughters’ going’ and ‘them going’ for ‘daughters going’ both sound as correct as the nouns themselves. In such hazy cases, it is best to use whatever form sounds most natural to you and to maintain consistent usage in similar instances throughout your thesis.

To make a word, phrase or title set in italic or bold font possessive, an apostrophe and an ‘s’ or an apostrophe alone should be added as appropriate, but the addition should remain in regular roman font: ‘ Gone with the Wind ’s memorable characters,’ for instance, ‘ Anne of Green Gables ’ popularity,’ ‘ Emma Woodhouse ’s matchmaking’ and ‘the second and third domains ’ parameters’ (see also Section 6.2.2 on the use of special fonts). A word, phrase or title (of an article, chapter or poem, for instance) enclosed in quotation marks (single or double) should not be made into a possessive, however, since this would produce confusion with the quotation marks, so ‘of’ should be used instead: ‘the imagery of the “Ode to Autumn”.’ The awkward use of possessives in parenthetical phrases should also be avoided: ‘It was Sally, his sister’s, book’ or ‘It was Sally (his sister’s) book’ is far better as ‘It was his sister Sally’s book’ or ‘The book belonged to Sally, his sister.’ Possessives, especially in their plural form, should not be overused or used in a string one right after the other: ‘the participants’ fathers’ occupations,’ for instance, is clearer and smoother as ‘the occupations of the participants’ fathers’ (and, for that matter, ‘the second and third domains ’ parameters’ which I use as an example above is better as ‘the parameters of the second and third domains ’). Finally, apostrophes are not used to form the plurals of nouns of any kind (words, names, compounds, phrases, abbreviations or numbers), so correct plural forms are ‘boys,’ not ‘boy’s,’ ‘the Wilsons,’ not ‘the Wilson’s,’ ‘sisters-in-law,’ not ‘sister’s-in-law,’ ‘NGOs’ (for ‘nongovernmental organizations’), not ‘NGO’s’ and ‘the 1990s,’ not ‘the 1990’s.’ Only to increase clarity when letters (particularly lowercase), numerals or other symbols are discussed as objects can an apostrophe be used: ‘the three R’s’ as an alternative to ‘the three Rs,’ ‘four 9’s’ instead of ‘four 9s’ and especially ‘cross the t’s and dot the i’s,’ which is much clearer than ‘cross the ts and dot the is.’ If the apostrophes are not used in this last example (and similar constructions), the letters (but not the ‘s’ after each) should be set in either italic font (cross the t s and dot he i s) or quotation marks (cross the ‘t’s and dot the ‘i’s) to distinguish them from the surrounding text (on this and some other uses of quotation marks, see below).

Apostrophes are also used to form contractions, in which certain letters are omitted and represented instead by an apostrophe, but many of these should not be used in the running text of formal scholarly prose (see also Section 5.4.7 above). ‘It’s’ for ‘it is’ or ‘it has’ (as I mentioned above, ‘its’ without an apostrophe is the possessive pronoun), ‘she’s’ for ‘she is’ or ‘she has,’ ‘I’ll’ for ‘I will,’ ‘don’t’ for ‘do not’ and ‘wouldn’t’ for ‘would not’ are good examples of informal contractions that are best avoided in a thesis. The same principle applies to those of a similar nature that are formed irregularly, such as ‘won’t’ for ‘will not’ and ‘ain’t’ for ‘am not,’ or that are so altered from their original form that no apostrophe could be appropriately placed (‘gonna’ for ‘going to,’ for instance, and ‘wanna’ for ‘want to’). Such contractions can be used when quoting direct speech or informal texts in your thesis, of course, and others that are basically archaic (such as th’ , ev’ry , o’er , ’tis and learn’d , set in italics here to show the forms clearly) can still be used when quoting early sources or poetry. There are some contractions that are acceptable for wider use, however: ‘rock ’n’ roll,’ for instance, ‘dos and don’ts,’ ‘bo’sun’ and ‘ma’am.’ As the examples in this paragraph demonstrate, the spacing around apostrophes used to form contractions matches the spacing that would have been used around the letters that have been replaced: no spaces appear around the apostrophe if the letter is omitted mid-word, but a space should appear before the apostrophe if an initial letter is omitted (They say ’tis him) and after the apostrophe if a final letter is omitted (th’ ancient one). Apostrophes indicating an initial omitted letter can be tricky to key because Word automatically changes an intended apostrophe (’) at the beginning of a word into an opening single quotation mark (‘), which curls in the opposite direction, so do watch for that if you are using such contractions. If the program refuses to produce the correct mark, type two apostrophes in a row and the second will be the right shape – simply retain it and delete the first one. Finally, no apostrophe is necessary to indicate the missing letters in contractions now accepted as words in their own right, such as ‘phone’ (for ‘telephone’), ‘flu’ (for ‘influenza’) and ‘nineties’ (for ‘nineteen nineties’).

Quotation marks. Quotation marks can be single (‘’) or double (“”), and the decision to use one form rather than the other is normally based on the guidelines followed and the specific needs and preferences of individual authors, so do consider which will work best for your thesis and, if you are unsure, check with your university, department or committee to see which would be most acceptable. The primary function of quotation marks is to enclose text that is directly quoted from a source: that use of quotation marks is covered in Chapter 8 below. Here, I focus instead on the use of quotation marks for other purposes. They are used, for instance, to enclose the titles of articles, poems (if they are brief), songs, short stories, chapters, individual episodes of television and radio shows and other short works (e.g., the poem ‘Ode to a Nightingale’ and the short story ‘Dandy Lion Chains’) when those titles appear in the main running text of a thesis; in full bibliographical references (in a bibliography, reference list or notes), the format of such titles (including quotation marks) is determined by the referencing style or guidelines followed (see Chapter 7 below). Quotation marks are also used to enclose exact representations of test items and questions as well as instructions for participants and the responses obtained through questionnaires and surveys, which is logical since the words cited are in fact quotations in such cases, though they may be English translations from another language. Quotation marks can also be used to enclose definitions and other explanations of a foreign word or phrase ( sed noli modo , meaning ‘but not now’), and to mark an unusual or newly coined word or phrase, or a word or phrase used in a particular or technical way (although technical or key terms in a thesis can instead be introduced in italic or, more rarely, bold font: see Section 6.2.2 below; on quoting and translating foreign languages, see Section 8.4 below). As a general rule, only the first appearance of such words or phrases in a thesis (or chapter) should be enclosed in quotation marks; subsequent mentions and uses do not require special marking, though in certain discipline-specific cases, such as cultivar names in botany or key quoted terms in textual studies, the quotation marks are retained. Finally, quotation marks are used for so-called scare or sneer quotes, which tend to distance an author from the word or phrase enclosed and imply something of an apology or qualification for terminology that is informal or colloquial, that would not have been the author’s own choice or that is used in odd, inappropriate or ironic ways. Such words and phrases can be subtle and various, but a few simple examples might be helpful: ‘The children’s scores were compared to those of “normal” children’; ‘Oh, he is indeed “organised” – I just rearranged all his files’; and ‘Of course modern students are “much more intelligent” than their medieval counterparts were.’

As a general rule, quotation marks are not used for simple emphasis – italic font is preferable for that – but they can be used effectively for that purpose. Some style guides recommend that the two different types of quotation marks (single and double) not be used for different tasks (beyond double marks within single ones when quoting, single marks within double and so on: see the discussion of this pattern for direct quotations in Section 8.1 below), warning of a result ‘more confusing than helpful’ (Butcher et al., 2006, p.271). It is important, however, for an author who uses a considerable amount of direct quotation as well as a number of terms that require definition, introduction or emphasis to distinguish between the quotation marks used for direct quotation and those used for other purposes. If no distinction is used, it can be unclear to your readers which parts of your text are actually quoted, so the best policy is to reduce your use of quotation marks beyond direct quotation to a minimum, but, if after so doing, you find that you still need to use quotation marks for several purposes, you may want to adopt one kind (double marks, for instance) to enclose direct quotations and use the other kind (single marks) around definitions and unfamiliar or technical words or phrases.

Why PhD Success?

To Graduate Successfully

This article is part of a book called "PhD Success" which focuses on the writing process of a phd thesis, with its aim being to provide sound practices and principles for reporting and formatting in text the methods, results and discussion of even the most innovative and unique research in ways that are clear, correct, professional and persuasive.

The assumption of the book is that the doctoral candidate reading it is both eager to write and more than capable of doing so, but nonetheless requires information and guidance on exactly what he or she should be writing and how best to approach the task. The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples.

The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples. PhD Success provides guidance for students familiar with English and the procedures of English universities, but it also acknowledges that many theses in the English language are now written by candidates whose first language is not English, so it carefully explains the scholarly styles, conventions and standards expected of a successful doctoral thesis in the English language.

Individual chapters of this book address reflective and critical writing early in the thesis process; working successfully with thesis supervisors and benefiting from commentary and criticism; drafting and revising effective thesis chapters and developing an academic or scientific argument; writing and formatting a thesis in clear and correct scholarly English; citing, quoting and documenting sources thoroughly and accurately; and preparing for and excelling in thesis meetings and examinations. 

Completing a doctoral thesis successfully requires long and penetrating thought, intellectual rigour and creativity, original research and sound methods (whether established or innovative), precision in recording detail and a wide-ranging thoroughness, as much perseverance and mental toughness as insight and brilliance, and, no matter how many helpful writing guides are consulted, a great deal of hard work over a significant period of time. Writing a thesis can be an enjoyable as well as a challenging experience, however, and even if it is not always so, the personal and professional rewards of achieving such an enormous goal are considerable, as all doctoral candidates no doubt realise, and will last a great deal longer than any problems that may be encountered during the process.

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Scientific editing, medical editing services, psychology proofreading, apostrophes and quotation marks in phd theses - helpful advice, about the author, rene tetzner.

Rene Tetzner's blog posts dedicated to academic writing. Although the focus is on How To Write a Doctoral Thesis, many other important aspects of research-based writing, editing and publishing are addressed in helpful detail.

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As a graduate student, you may need to complete a thesis or dissertation as part of your program's graduation requirements. While theses are common among master’s students and dissertations among doctoral students, this may not apply universally across all programs. We encourage you to reach out to your program adviser to determine the specific requirements for your culminating project.

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The Thesis and Dissertation Handbook explains Penn State formatting requirements for all master’s theses and doctoral dissertations. It covers the submission process and approval deadlines, the responsibilities of each student, and provides page examples. We highly recommend all students doing theses or dissertations to carefully review the handbook.

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Where do you put the apostrophe in master's degree?

The correct placement is after "master." The only time that you would use it after the 's' is if there were many masters (plural).

An example would be "Bob achieved his Master's Degree with honors."

Master's Degree

Add your answer:

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Learn English – Master thesis, master’s degree thesis or master degree thesis

apostrophe possessives

I searched online and I understood that "master's degree" retains the apostrophe, while the relative thesis is commonly referred to as "master thesis". However, of the forms

• Master thesis
• Master's degree thesis
• Master degree thesis

Which one is wrong, which is right and which should be preferable to use on a thesis cover? I know that in English theses it's common to use the phrase "Thesis prepared for the Degree of Master of Science" but I can't do this. Thanks.

Best Answer

https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/24377/use-master-thesis-or-masters-thesis

"Grammatically speaking, master's thesis unequivocally means a thesis of a master. Master thesis can be read the same way, but also as primary, principle or main thesis.

Stick with master's thesis."

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=master%27s+thesis&btnG=

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Learn english – n apostrophe in a master’s degree.

I always use "master's degree". You may want to read this article about this topic. Below are some important parts of it which I found very useful.

Masters Degree or Master’s Degree? by Maeve Maddox To answer this question, I’ve consulted the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, and some university dissertation guidelines. Speaking generically, you would write master’s degree : Jack has finally earned his master’s degree .

Speaking of a specific degree, you would capitalize Master :

He holds a Master of Fine Arts from State University .

When it comes to abbreviating academic degrees, you’d better check the style book that governs your work.

For example, here is what the guidelines say on the site of Ohio University:

“Use periods when abbreviating academic degrees. Ex. Dr. Bond received her A.B., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.” – Ohio University

Northeastern University, like the MLA guide, prefers to drop the periods:

• “Punctuating degrees: Do not include periods in degree abbreviations. [Ex. BS, BA, MA, PhD] The single exception is Hon. for Honorary.” – Northeastern University

NOTE: Not all universities use the same abbreviations for the master’s degree:

• Examples of the reversed usage include Harvard University, the University of Chicago and MIT, leading to the abbreviations A.M. and S.M. for these degrees. The forms "Master of Science" and "Master in Science" are indistinguishable in Latin, thus MSci is "Master of Natural Sciences" at the University of Cambridge. – Wikipedia

Learn English – Is [Its’] a word? (Note the apostrophe at the end.)

I found a Yon It living in Long Beach, CA. His (or her) family would be the Its . If they had a dog, it would be the Its' dog.

Related Topic

• Learn English – master or master’s
• Learn English – What word class/part of speech is ” the doctor’s ” in ” the doctor’s office “

Explore new horizons

Is it Masters or masters thesis?

The correct way to spell master’s degree is with the apostrophe. The s in master’s indicates a possessive (the degree of a master), not a plural. If you’re speaking of a specific degree, you should capitalize master and avoid creating a possessive: Master of Science. The same rules apply to a bachelor’s degree.

Table of Contents

What is a thesis outline?

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical early steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

What is the format of a masters thesis?

LINE SPACING: Normally theses are formatted double-spaced. Single-space or one-and-a-half space formatting for the body of your thesis is accepted only with prior approval of your thesis committee and graduate division.

Which is better Masters with thesis or without thesis?

Basically, the thesis option has more research, while the non-thesis has more classes. However, ALL master’s students must conduct some sort of research or project. Thesis students will conduct a large research project, which will likely involve several semesters of work.

Is the word Masters thesis capitalized?

Academic degrees are capitalized only when the full name of the degree is used, such as Bachelor of Arts or Master of Social Work. General references, such as bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, are not capitalized.

Do you capitalize master thesis?

There is no need to capitalise it. Another thesis might be a doctoral thesis, which to me looks odd in capitals. The word master’s is sometimes capitalised.

Is thesis and outline the same?

Your thesis statement states what you will discuss in your essay. Not only does it define the scope and focus of your essay, it also tells your reader what to expect from the essay. A thesis statement can be very helpful in constructing the outline of your essay.

What is the difference between outline and thesis statement?

The thesis or purpose statement needs to match what you state in your essay. Preparing an outline before you begin your paper helps you stay on track. Teachers will often assign an outline for that reason. However, even if it’s not part of your assignment, creating an outline is an effective way to organize your paper.

How hard is it to write a master’s thesis?

Writing a thesis or a dissertation can be a challenging process for many graduate students. There are so many chapters to complete, and writing each individual chapter requires an immense amount of hard work and a strong motivation.

What is the proper format of a thesis?

The body includes these elements: Introduction. State (1) the purpose of the investigation, (2) the problem being investigated, (3) the background (context and importance) of the problem (citing previous work by others), (4) your thesis and general approach, and (5) the criteria for your study’s success. Theory.

How many pages is a master’s thesis?

40-80 pages A master’s thesis is generally 40-80 pages, not including the bibliography. However, the length will vary according to the topic and the method of analysis, so the appropriate length will be determined by you and your committee. Students who write a master’s thesis generally do so over two semesters.

Can I cite master thesis?

Yes, you can cite another master’s thesis. You also should, if it is relevant to the work. And no, don’t just pillage that other thesis for sources and ignore it. That would negate the benefit of access to that thesis, which you should make available to future readers of your own thesis.

Does masters have an apostrophe?

Use an apostrophe (possessive) with bachelor’s degree and master’s degree, but not in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science. Do not use an apostrophe (possessive) with associate degree or doctoral degree.

Is thesis supposed to be capitalized?

A thesis is not capitalized because it will not appear professional or academically presentable. Only words that are allowed to be capitalized should be. Remember, a word can only be capitalized if it falls under the rules of capitalization in English grammar.

How do you write a good thesis outline?

Your Thesis:

• State your topic. Your topic is the essential idea of your paper.
• State your main idea about this topic.
• Give a reason that supports your main idea.
• Give another reason that supports your main idea.
• Give one more reason that supports your main idea.
• Include an opposing viewpoint to your main idea, if applicable.

How do you write a thesis and outline?

To create an outline:

Place your thesis statement at the beginning.

• List the major points that support your thesis. Label them in Roman Numerals (I, II, III, etc.).
• List supporting ideas or arguments for each major point.
• If applicable, continue to sub-divide each supporting idea until your outline is fully developed.

Can I write my thesis in 3 weeks?

It’s doable. Even make it 500 words a day. If you start with three weeks to go, you can write 10,000 words in twenty days. But some days you will write more than others and your word count will be more like 15,000 by deadline day.

How to start writing master thesis?

Returning to your problem statement to explain how your research helps solve the problem.

• Referring back to the literature review and showing how you have addressed a gap in knowledge.
• Discussing how your findings confirm or challenge an existing theory or assumption.

How do you write a thesis outline?

– Interpretations: what do the results mean? – Implications: why do the results matter? – Limitations: what can’t the results tell us? – Recommendations: what practical actions or scientific studies should follow?

How to write the best master thesis?

• Before starting to write your thesis, refer to “Guidelines for Writing Thesis” section for your type of thesis. • During writing, refer to “Formatting Requirements” section and the “Forms and Examples” section. The Library, your department, and your advisor can also provide examples of previous thesis work

How to make an outline for thesis?

• List the major points that support your thesis. Label them in Roman Numerals (I,II,III,etc.).
• List supporting ideas or arguments for each major point. Label them in capital letters (A,B,C,etc.).
• If applicable,continue to sub-divide each supporting idea until your outline is fully developed.

Informative Website For Everyone

Why does Masters have an apostrophe?

Table of Contents

• 1 Why does Masters have an apostrophe?
• 2 Is getting a masters worth it?
• 3 Are you called doctor with a masters?
• 4 Does Masters degree have apostrophe?

The correct way to spell master’s degree is with the apostrophe. The s in master’s indicates a possessive (the degree of a master), not a plural. If you’re speaking of a specific degree, you should capitalize master and avoid creating a possessive: Master of Science. The same rules apply to a bachelor’s degree.

Do you put an apostrophe in master’s degree?

General references, such as bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, are not capitalized. Use an apostrophe (possessive) with bachelor’s degree and master’s degree, but not in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science. Do not use an apostrophe with associate degree or doctoral degree.

Is it masters or master’s thesis?

1 Answer. “Grammatically speaking, master’s thesis unequivocally means a thesis of a master. Master thesis can be read the same way, but also as primary, principle or main thesis. Stick with master’s thesis.”

Is getting a masters worth it?

A master’s degree is a financial investment—and it could be a big one. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average median weekly earnings for a person with a master’s degree is higher than for people with a bachelor’s degree and even more so than for people with a high school diploma.

What do you call someone with a master’s degree?

A somewhat archaic title someone holding a Masters degree is “Magister”. Similar to Doctor, it comes from a Latin word for teacher.

How long is a master’s thesis?

A master’s thesis is generally 40-80 pages, not including the bibliography. However, the length will vary according to the topic and the method of analysis, so the appropriate length will be determined by you and your committee. Students who write a master’s thesis generally do so over two semesters.

Are you called doctor with a masters?

Yes. If you graduate with a BSc or BA, you are a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts respectively. Similarly if you graduate with a master’s, you are a master, and if you graduate with a doctorate you’re a doctor.

Does a master’s degree change your title?

A master’s degree by itself doesn’t require a special title, but it sometimes does require a post-nominal. While some degrees, such as a doctorate degree, mandate that a title is added before the person’s name, that isn’t always the case if you’re addressing someone with a master’s degree.

Is a non-thesis masters worth it?

Students whose main reason to pursue a Master’s degree is advancement within a current job or movement from one professional position to a new workforce position would do well to consider a non‐thesis option, as it may well provide a more flexible schedule and shorter path to completion. If you want to pursue a Ph.

Does Masters degree have apostrophe?

Should Bachelor and Masters be capitalized?

How to spell masters degree?

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Master's Thesis Research

Prereq: All course work toward the degree must be completed. Note: Registration for this course is not available via telephone (UK-VIP) or webUK. For enrollment information contact the Graduate School at 257-4905.

Half-time to full-time work on thesis. May be repeated to a maximum of six semesters.

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Apostrophe for indicating possessive. How do I convince my professor? [duplicate]

I've read this and this . I know that the underlying question has been answered, my problem is of a different nature: I'm currently writing my master's thesis in CS and my professor thinks that the apostrophe possessive is only applicable to people. He claims to have spoken to a linguist from Cambridge who confirmed his opinion. Neither my professor nor I am a native speaker and the thesis is being written in Germany. Now, I know that he won't care if I just send him a couple of links to the answers here.

So my question is: How do I convince my professor? Are there any "more scientific™" sources that I can point to?

Examples of phrases:

• If each plant's humidity is displayed publicly [...]
• [...] shows an overview of the node's structure.
• Due to an issue in the network stack's IPv6 subsystem [...]
• possessives
• possessive-s-vs-of

• 5 This is a rule for elementary learners of English. It is not a grammatical rule, it's a guide for basic English learners natural English until they're able to judge the felicity of the genitive NP on their own. –  Araucaria - Him Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 12:55
• 3 Good idea! @Mari-LouA - Found an example here at the beginning. –  fresskoma Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 15:38
• 4 You've nailed him! But I'm not sure if this is a good thing, you certainly don't want to embarrass or belittle him, on the other hand you have Charles Darwin and English native speakers on your side. I don't know what kind of rapport you have with your professor, nor his precise role in your thesis. I am not an academic, so perhaps you could post a related question in SE. Academia, asking what should be your next move. Unless someone here can also confirm T.E.D's answer. –  Mari-Lou A Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 16:24
• 5 Your professor is lying about his Cambridge friend. Not a good sign for a high-ranking educator. –  Lightness Races in Orbit Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 18:17
• 20 Whenever I have to argue against a friend in Cambridge, I defer to my friend from Oxford: oxforddictionaries.com/words/apostrophe –  ps2goat Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 20:33

10 Answers 10

As few people are addressing the '"more scientific™" sources' bit of the question, it should be pointed out that there are a number of English style guides out there, practically all of which should cover the topic of forming possessives with apostrophe-s (as it's a frequent issue even with native speakers).

You should be able to find copies of at least one of the major ones in any decent University library. (At least at any decent University with English classes.)

• The Elements of Style by Strunk and White is the "gold standard" for many Americans, although there are many who disagree with many of the details.
• The Chicago Manual of Style is a well-used standard for (American) University usage. - The online version is unapologetic and direct on this topic: "The possessive of most singular nouns is formed by adding an apostrophe and an s", although it does go into more details.
• Fowler's modern English usage by Henry Fowler is also a well-regarded standard, particularly for British users.
• The Cambridge Guide to English Usage by Pam Peters has the benefit of the "authority" of Cambridge. Oxford, of course, has their own: The New Oxford Style Manual , though the title has varied with edition.

If physical copies aren't something you're interested in, a number of organizations (particularly journalism houses) have their house style guides online.

• For example, the Economist makes no mention of the conjectured rule in its advice.
• The Guardian gives additional examples, and also completely omits the purported rule.
• Others can likely be found by searching, and other major organizations (like the Associate Press and the New York Times) have theirs as printed books.

Many dictionaries also have usage notes in them. (In particular, I'll point out the comment from @ps2goat mentioning Oxford Dictionaries's online page .)

Ultimately, though, it's exceedingly difficult to prove a negative. Even confronted with evidence that a large number of style guides and usage manuals for English have nothing approaching the purported rule, your professor might not be convinced that he is mistaken. If that is the case, your best choice is probably to reword things to avoid the issue.

• 2 Even if the style manuals don't have this rule, I bet they are using the apostrophe at some point. A few examples from The Cambridge Guide to English should make a convincing argument. –  Davidmh Commented Sep 15, 2015 at 11:29

The strongest endorsement that I could find from a UK English source in favor of using 's after singular nouns of any kind to indicate possession is this brief treatment from The Oxford Guide to Style (Oxford University Press, 2002):

5.2.1 Possession

Use 's after singular nouns and indefinite pronouns that do not end in s :

[Examples:] the boy's job, the BBC's policy, nobody's fault, the court's decision, the bee's knees, one's car, Oxford's bells, Mary's garden, a week's time, Yasgur's farm

As the examples accompanying this guideline rather obliquely suggest, the situations in which re-forming an expression from "X's Y" to "the Y of X" has the most deleterious consequences are the ones involving idioms: "the knees of the bee" and "the meow of the cat" sound ridiculous—and indeed foreign—when rendered thus. But so does "the time of a week" (or to a lesser extent, "the span of a week" or "the duration of a week") in place of "a week's time," or "the thought of a moment" for "a moment's thought."

Another treatment, with fewer nonhuman examples of the 's treatment in action is from the " English Grammar Today " section of Cambridge Dictionaries Online:

Possessive 's

We use apostrophe s (’s), also called possessive ’s , as a determiner to show that something belongs to someone or something:

Is that Olivia’s bag?

Britain’s coastline is very beautiful.

We can also use it in complex noun phrases:

Greg is her youngest daughter’s husband.

We can use two possessive ’s constructions in the same noun phrase:

We went to Jake’s father’s funeral.

We also use possessive ’s to talk about time and duration:

Is that yesterday’s paper?

I’ve only had one week’s holiday so far this year.

A bit later in the same discussion, the Cambridge guide points out a feature of English in an accurate but potentially misleading way:

We don’t usually use the possessive ’s with things:

the door handle

Not: the door’s handle

the shop window

Not: the shop’s window

the kitchen table

Not: the kitchen’s table

But native English speakers who blithely say "the bee's knees" and "the cat's meow" wouldn't say "the door's handle" or "the kitchen's table" in any event, because the nonpossessive form is sufficient; for the same reason, they wouldn't be inclined to say "the handle of the door" in preference to "the door handle," and they certainly wouldn't say "the table of the kitchen" in preference to "the kitchen table."

However, the Cambridge Dictionary page doesn't stop there. Farther down the page it offers these guidelines:

’s or of or either?

There are some general rules about when to use ’s and when to use of but there are many cases where both are possible:

The film’s hero or The hero of the film

The car’s safety record or The safety record of the car

The report’s conclusion or The conclusion of the report

Sometimes when we first mention a noun, we use of , and later when we refer to it again, we use ’s :

The mountains of Pakistan are mostly in the north. At least one hundred of them are above 7,000 metres … Most of Pakistan’s mountains are in the spectacular Karakoram range.

When we don’t use ’s

We don’t use ’s when the noun is not a person, animal, country, organisation, etc., or when the noun phrase is very long:

The name of the ship was ‘Wonder Queen’. (preferred to The ship’s name was ‘Wonder Queen’. )

The house of the oldest woman in the village. (preferred to The oldest woman in the village’s house. )

When we don’t use of

When we are talking about things that belong to us, relationships and characteristics of people, animals, countries, categories, groups or organisations made up of people, we usually use ’s :

The men’s dressing room is on the left at the end of the corridor.

Not: The dressing room of the men …

The cat’s paw was badly cut.

Not: The paw of the cat …

This block of advice is exceedingly difficult to make sense of. In one section we read that "film's hero" and "car's record" and "report's conclusion" are all okay, despite their not being a person, animal, country, or organisation, and in the very next section we're informed that "We don’t use ’s when the noun is not a person, animal, country, organisation, etc., ..." Either the etc. at the end of that phrase is large enough to comprehend works of art, machinery, and publications (among other possibilities) or the guidelines aren't paying attention to one another.

Clearly, even Cambridge's online grammar guide doesn't endorse your professor's rule limiting the application of 's possessive forms to people. But it does muddy the water sufficiently that a determined professor might find some solace (if not vindication) there.

To me, the greatest harm that an endless series of "the Y of X" constructions does to a lengthy piece of writing, when used in place of a mixture of "the Y of X" and "X's Y" elements, is to make the writing sound needlessly wooden and rote. It's easy to underestimate the contribution that varied elements make to an essay—until you read one that uses the same restricted palette of constructions over and over.

The Oxford Guide to Style puts no restriction on what sorts of singular nouns can take 's to yield a possessive form. The Cambridge guidelines, though all over the place, at least indicate that significant areas of nonhuman things can be assigned 's possessives. I would be inclined to show both the Oxford treatment and the Cambridge treatment to the professor and ask him what he made of them. Even a shift from his current person-only rule to Cambridge's person, animal, country, organisation, etc.-only rule would give you some latitude in concluding that a plant, a node, and a network stack, for example, were all covered by the "etc." term of the latter rule.

• 2 I find this to be the best answer to the question in terms of questions and answers appropriate for this site, as opposed to Academia.SE. +1. –  Dan Henderson Commented Sep 15, 2015 at 13:23
• 1 "The door handle" and "the kitchen table" may be interpreted as not possessive . That is, in these examples, "door" and "kitchen" are adjectives. What kind of table is it? It is a kitchen table. What kind of handle is it? It is a door handle. That use is, to some extent, cultural and/or idiomatic. However, in all English dialects of which I am aware, that is the correct use of such modifiers. Outside of such standardized cases, the possessive would be correct: the childrens' ball, the movie's hero, the professor's mistake, etc. –  taz Commented Sep 15, 2015 at 15:36
• 1 @mattdm: Thanks for pointing out the error. After all these years, my fingers and my keyboard are still not good friends. (I continually hit the gap between keys and nothing registers—and I sometimes don't notice it.) –  Sven Yargs Commented Sep 15, 2015 at 17:13

A piece of advice here from someone who did a CS Master's thesis himself:

You don't . You write it the way they want it written. Consider it like a house style guide. The rules in style guides aren't the only way to do proper English; just the way they do it there. Your goal here is to get a CS Master's, not a Booker Prize.

Look at it this way: Your advisor has a role to play too. They are supposed to provide you feedback. That means pointing out issues in your thesis. They have to do that, or they won't feel like they are doing their job. If all they are pointing out is debatable grammatical errors, that's a Good Thing TM . If you don't give them their niggly little errors, they will have no choice but to go looking for something more substantive to gig you on. That could cause you weeks of work, rather than a few seconds.

Perhaps a little pro-forma pushback on your part might be a good idea, to keep up appearances. But it sounds to me like you've already accomplished that.

• 2 I would tend to agree with the "You Don't" answer. If rephrasing a few lines is all you need to do to keep from mixing German and English then I'd say you have a ready-made solution. This may be one of the hardest learned lessons from your educational experience: Pick your battles. –  Elliot Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 17:35
• 2 The resulting sentences should only be minimally awkward, or not awkward at all, to native English speakers if you just give in and rewrite your statements to avoid the 's's ( :D ) - the phrasing will wind up being close enough to normal that no one is likely to stumble over it. –  Jason Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 19:56
• 24 This answer is very unfortunate. It's saying "do wrong, if you're told to do wrong by someone to whom you have to kow-tow." if you put this ridiculous, idiotic error in your paper, I say that is you who will look like a fool for the rest of your life, not the professor. –  Fattie Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 20:30
• 5 I have to agree with @Joe here. Saxon vs. Romance genitives may not be a big deal, and the worst you’ll come out looking like is someone who’s not a native speaker of English; but the basic tenet of this answer is dangerously close to a slippery slope that you do not want to go down. I don’t know how things work south of the border, but up here, all Master’s theses are available and searchable to the public, so you’re quite likely to have someone in the future want to read or quote your paper, errors and all. And if you want it published… best be prepared to proofread all over again! –  Janus Bahs Jacquet Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 20:50
• 2 I am also with @JoeBlow. Most professors I know are actually happy to be corrected and learn a new thing, if done politely. Plus, since this is a minor thing, outside both your areas of expertise, it is unlikely to get anybody upset. –  Davidmh Commented Sep 15, 2015 at 11:21

From Charles Darwin's Origin of Species OR THE PRESERVATION OF FAVOURED RACES IN THE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE. From the First Edition, 1859

One of the most remarkable features in our domesticated races is that we see in them adaptation, not indeed to the animal's or plant's own good , but to man's use or fancy. […] How fleeting are the wishes and efforts of man! how short his time! and consequently how poor will his products be, compared with those accumulated by nature during whole geological periods. Can we wonder, then, that nature's productions should be far "truer" in character than man's productions; that they should be infinitely better adapted to the most complex conditions of life, and should plainly bear the stamp of far higher workmanship? […] but if an occasional cross be indispensable, the fullest freedom for the entrance of pollen from another individual will explain this state of exposure, more especially as the plant's own anthers and pistil generally stand so close together that self-fertilisation seems almost inevitable. […] there is a very curious adaptation between the structure of the flower and the manner in which bees suck the nectar; for, in doing this, they either push the flower's own pollen on the stigma, or bring pollen from another flower. […] for if you bring on the same brush a plant's own pollen and pollen from another species, the former will have such a prepotent effect, that it will invariably and completely destroy, as has been shown by Gartner, any influence from the foreign pollen. […] When distinct SPECIES are crossed the case is directly the reverse, for a plant's own pollen is always prepotent over foreign pollen; but to this subject we shall return in a future chapter. […] I can see no limit to the amount of change, to the beauty and infinite complexity of the coadaptations between all organic beings, one with another and with their physical conditions of life, which may be effected in the long course of time by nature's power of selection . […] Whether natural selection has really thus acted in nature, in modifying and adapting the various forms of life to their several conditions and stations, must be judged of by the general tenour and balance of evidence given in the following chapters. But we already see how it entails extinction; and how largely extinction has acted in the world's history , geology plainly declares. […] This instinct, however, of the American ostrich has not as yet been perfected; for a surprising number of eggs lie strewed over the plains, so that in one day's hunting I picked up no less than twenty lost and wasted eggs [Etc.]

These examples do not include the numerous instances Charles Darwin, the Cambridge educated scientist, and naturalist, used the possessive apostrophe when describing animal features, e.g. Thus, the bat's wing is a most abnormal structure in the class mammalia

• 9 A few passages from a single book published 150 years ago is a pretty poor argument. I hope the professor is not convinced by this, although it sounds like he might be. –  DCShannon Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 21:44
• @DCShannon Charles Darwin is not good enough for you? There are numerous instances where the possessive apostrophe is used that are not related to humans. The link is there, do a search with 's . The OP's professor categorically stated that it is employed only with people. I have provided astounding evidence to the contrary. Darwin an Englishman, a scientist, educated in Cambridge, the father of "evolution", used the apostrophe incorrectly, according to the OP's prof., and you're saying it's a pretty poor argument! –  Mari-Lou A Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 22:05
• 13 Yeah, I'm saying that's a pretty poor argument. I would dismiss it out of hand. How Charles Darwin wrote back in the day tells me nothing about what the current professional standards are. I'm not downvoting, since the professor may actually be convinced by this, but there's a much more convincing argument below citing current style guides. –  DCShannon Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 22:16
• Lewis Carroll's use of is'n't comes to mind... I agree with @DCShannon - single text sources are not good arguments, regardless of their correctness. –  HorusKol Commented Sep 15, 2015 at 6:50
• 1 @HorusKol Lewis Carrol and Charles Darwin is like comparing apples and oranges. For other sources, simply pick any English book written in the last five years, and you will find instances where the possessive apostrophe is used for non-human or non-living things. But the prof. might counter-attack that they are examples taken from lazy writers, who know nothing about science and rigour. Would he dare say the same for Darwin? I doubt it. –  Mari-Lou A Commented Sep 15, 2015 at 7:06

Nobody's more standard than Shakespeare , who says:

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Blow, blow, thou winter wind! Thou art not so unkind as man's ingratitude. How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!

More modern examples (and older ones) can be taken from book titles: The Monkey's Paw. Man's Search for Meaning. Cat's Cradle. Childhood's End. Common expressions or terms: In a pig's eye. Tiger's eye (a gem). Dead man's hand. Dragon's Tooth (a rock formation). "Monday's child is fair of face." Bird's eye view, bird's nest soup, bird's nest fungus. Straight from the horse's mouth.

The prof's idea is really indefensible. Nonetheless, proving somebody wrong can be hazardous to your career.

• 21 "Nobody's more standard than Shakespeare" , umm, you mean the Shakespeare that invented new grammar, hundreds to thousands of new words, and was legendary for abusing language for dramatic purposes? –  geometrian Commented Sep 15, 2015 at 1:08
• 3 This answer might be usefull if you quoted it in 17th-century orthography. –  fdb Commented Sep 15, 2015 at 10:16
• 3 "Nobody's more standard than Shakespeare" in 17th century English; not modern usage. –  Davidmh Commented Sep 15, 2015 at 11:31
• 1 Shakespeare didn't even spell his own name "Shakespeare", it's very risky to cite him as "standard"! –  Steve Jessop Commented Sep 15, 2015 at 14:58
• 1 So we have the most acclaimed writer in English agreeing with modern writers and common usage. I think that should be sufficient to answer the question. –  Maverick Commented Sep 16, 2015 at 18:16

Is it really your supervisor you need to impress? Is it not an external examiner? You have put a lot of work and effort into your research, and you obviously care about the quality of your work. I personally would not concede on true quality just to get the thesis 'through the system'.

Having said that, I think that

If the humidity of each plant is displayed publicly...

sounds slightly more formal than your example. That is, removal of the possessive is generally more formal and correct for technical writing. However, it is not always possible, for example where the emphasis is on the possessive (e.g. "plant's own pollen") or simply when rewording might cause too many "ofs" in the sentence!

I'm a native English speaker, and my English is generally pretty good amongst my peers. I'm also writing up at the moment and also have slight disagreements with my supervisor about various aspects (he's usually right...). But ultimately we both know that it is my own research to be assessed by an external examiner.

I'm currently writing my master's thesis in CS and my professor thinks that the apostrophe possessive is only applicable to people. He claims to have spoken to a linguist from Cambridge who confirmed his opinion.

Is it possible that he (or the Cambridge linguist) is confused as to what rule is being discussed? Forming a possessive by appending a lone apostrophe to a singular noun that already ends in "s" is, in some sources, limited to people (or perhaps to the names Jesus and Moses, or only to personal names of multiple syllables according to a certain stress rule - not, say, "James").

This should not be taken to imply that including an apostrophe in the normal 's possessive suffix - or, for that matter, appending a lone apostrophe to a plural noun ending in "s", is likewise limited to people.

Being able to point to a related rule in a style guide that does mention being limited to people may help you convince him that he may have been remembering the wrong rule.

• Convert all your possessives to prepositional phrases using "of", e.g., "the bat's wings" becomes "the wings of the bat".
• Move on with your life.

You happen to be correct, but sometimes it's best to let the baby have its bottle.

• 1 The question was "How do I convince my professor?" –  Andrew Leach ♦ Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 21:58
• 3 And the answer is, "Don't". –  einnocent Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 22:28
• 4 Come to think of it, this isn't a grammar/usage question at all. Perhaps it should be migrated to a psychology or management forum. –  einnocent Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 22:30

I think there may be some confusion between two different things:

• The genitive suffix 's.
• Using nouns as adjectives.

Each of your examples can be written using noun strings - the nouns that function as adjectives are in italics:

• If each plant humidity is displayed publicly [...]
• [...] shows an overview of the node structure.
• Due to an issue in the network stack IPv6 subsystem [...]

Both styles are standard English, but noun strings can't be used for plurals like "the plants' humidity is displayed" (i.e., one humidity value is displayed for many plants), and long noun strings like "the International Space Station astronaut accommodation module development project proposal" are hard to read unless you are familiar with the terminology being used.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noun_string

• 6 the node structure and the node's structure is two very different things. One talks about how nodes are connected the other talks about what is going on when you remove the abstraction that hides the internals of the node. –  Taemyr Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 18:15

"Examples of phrases:

These examples are all good English.

• 5 And how exactly is this meant to convince the OP's professor? –  curiousdannii Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 13:04
• 5 Maybe if he told him he heard it from a "linguist in Cambridge". –  fdb Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 13:06
• 7 How about a linguist from Michigan? (actually I'm retired now and live in Washington state, but I taught linguistics and English grammar at the University of Michigan for 37 years, and published a number of studies on the subject.) While it's true that mostly the Saxon genitive applies to humans and the Romance genitive to things, this is just a rule of thumb. In the example sentences given, @fdb has it right -- they are all good, proper, formal English sentences; whereas their transforms with Romance genitives are not improvements, and are often awkward and unnatural. –  John Lawler Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 14:26
• 5 If your professor wishes to contact me, I will go into detail (if provided with more detail first). –  John Lawler Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 14:26
• 3 @fdb Utter nonsense. Critique is a perfectly good English verb. –  curiousdannii Commented Sep 15, 2015 at 13:34

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