We are exactly two weeks away from Thanksgiving and a little more than five weeks from Christmas. So here's another friendly reminder from your friends at Edit This® on how to make your last name plural for those family holiday cards.
STEP 1: Start by resisting the temptation to add an apostrophe to your last name (Gamel's). This is wrong. You only add an apostrophe to a last name if you are making it possessive.
STEP 2: To make your last name plural, add an 's' (keep scrolling for exceptions).
Incorrect: "Happy Holidays from the Gamel's."
Correct: "Happy Holidays from the Gamels."
Writing "the Gamels" or "the Millers" or even "the Gordons" may look weird, but we do it because we are signing for every member of the family. Thus, it needs to be plural.
Pluralizing last names doesn't have to be hard
There are slight variations to pluralizing last names that you need to consider depending on how your last name is spelled. Here is an awesome chart from fellow writer and blogger, Kate Brannen, that perfectly spells out how to make your last name plural on a holiday card.
Below are a few more examples to help you pluralize your last name:
* The Mathneys
* The Meltons
* The Bartons
* The Aults
* The Joneses
* The Burches
* The Gonzalezes
* The Maddoxes
* The Ashes
Remember: The only time you add an apostrophe to a family name is if you are making your last name possessive. The cool part is that if you're still confused, simply write around it ...
"Happy Holidays from The Gamel Family."
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If you're interested in having Edit This handle your company's content writing and editing needs or give your holiday cards a once-over, give us a call today! We write copy from scratch or spruce up what you already have.
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*STEVE GAMEL is the President & Owner of Edit This, a writing and editing services company located in Denton, TX. Steve handles anything involving the written word. Give him a call today to help give your business a clear voice.
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