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I am ordering a flag. It says "Welcome Summer" and then under that is the name The Johnsons or The Johnson's

Husband and wife live in one dwelling. I know if it stated The Johnson's Home that would be proper, but it just doesn't look right..

Thank you.

D. Downing
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2 Answers2

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If the phrase is intended as a signature, then the possessive does not apply; it's a simple plural - the members of the Johnson family are simply "The Johnsons".

If, on the other hand, you are referring to their house, you have (at least) two choices:

  • Possessive: the Johnsons' house (the house belonging to the Johnsons)
  • Adjectival:
    • the Johnson house (this would be more common if the house were a local landmark, e.g. "Turn right at the old Johnson house")
    • Johnson House (in the case of e.g. a charitable foundation)

In the case of a name ending in -s (Jones, for example), form the plural and the plural possessive in the usual way: "Keeping up with the Joneses"; "I'm heading over to the Joneses' house."

MT_Head
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If the proper name is Johnson, Mark Johnson, then it would The Johnson's, as in, the house that belongs to the Johnson family.

If the proper name is Johnsons, e.g., Barry Johnsons, then it would The Johnsons', as in, the house that belongs to the Johnsons family.

Referring to a married couple, you could use plural, e.g, "The Johnsons (surname: Johnson) throw great parties." But it seems awkward or dangerous to then mark plural with possessive, when you are referring to a singular proper noun. Back to your example, it isn't the case the the husband OWNS the house and the wife OWNS the house -- rather that they own the house together.

tidbertum
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    "The Johnson's" doesn't seem possible to me--I can't use a possessive this way. I can only hear this as The Johnsons or The Johnsons'--to me, it feels like it has to be plural. Can you cite a source to support this answer? – herisson Aug 05 '18 at 16:40
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    If Mark Johnson lived there by himself, then "The Johnson's" would be correct, but very curiously written with the definite article. But if Mark has a wife and children, and the house was possessed by all then surely it has to be "The Johnsons' house". In the case of Barry Johnsons, I would write it in exactly the same way, but there are people who would argue that it should be "The Johnsonses' house". – WS2 Aug 05 '18 at 17:20
  • When I worked at the UK TV Licensing office, I once opened a letter which ended I AM MR'S JONE'S. I'd use 'The Johnsons'. – Michael Harvey Aug 05 '18 at 17:40
  • Never u'se an apo'strophe to s'ay your word's are plural's. – tchrist Aug 05 '18 at 18:41
  • They are known as "grocers' apostrophes", from the formers' tendency to put up signs that contain superfluous apostrophes. I know of one instance of a grocer's apostrophe on a gravestone. – WS2 Nov 29 '18 at 00:19