To show plural possession, always make the noun plural first, then use the apostrophe. The blue book of grammar and punctuation succeeds at a rare feat. Of these 7 were postgraduate students at the university of glasgows school of computing. The use of apostrophe s has proven confusing to many people, so if it confuses you, try not to worry.
Various situations in possessives grammar call for a few seemingly tricky rules. Of course, there are many plural nouns in english that are irregular and do not end in s. For example, should doctors surgery have an apostrophe. We use apostrophe s s, also called possessive s, as a determiner to show that something belongs to someone or something. There are three types of possessive forms in the english language. I was taught james, but in the eat shoots and leaves book, it says that it is now jamess, but this looks wrong. May 17, 2016 apostrophes are often mistakenly omitted in common expressions such as at arms length and at wits end. Most newspapers and magazines drop theoxford comma in a simple. Here are some examples of appositives the noun or pronoun will be in blue. For instance, to show possession with singular nouns that dont end in s, all you have to do is add s girls, farms, loves. Apostrophes are generally not used to form english plurals, but there are a few exceptions. When forming possessives, only use an apostrophe after the second name when two people possess the same thing, as with dennis and pam, who own a house together. Our hero, the apostrophe, is super tough and super organized, too. For clarity, most writers use apostrophes with single capital letters and singledigit numbers.
Full of helpful, realworld examples, exercises, tests, and answers. With possessive pronouns such as his, hers, and ours. Now in its tenth edition, the blue book is a masterpiece of clarity and usefulness. In the past adding an s may have seemed very clumsy. While the bee buzzes among the blooms, a patient mantis waits to strike. In this sentence, books is a noun, the subject of the sentence. But before i could judge whether my informants used standard or nonstandard apostrophes, i had to get a hold of the rules myself. Ahmed is the skydiver that broke his back last week. Place a check mark in front ofsentences that are correct. Apostrophe meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. The plurals for capital letters and numbers used as nouns are not formed with apostrophes. If so, does it belong to one doctor, or all the doctors.
Preface and acknowledgments the blue book of grammar and. Apostrophes quiz 1 the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Maybe you know to write i met the smiths, i drove brenda smiths ferrari, and i visited the smiths house. Are you confused about how to show the plural and the possessive of certain names. While normal people wonder about apostrophes in general, believe it or not, word nerds have heated arguments over whether to use an additional s with singular possession. To see the entire contents of the blue book of grammar and punc.
Add an apostrophe then the s just as if it were a singular noun like this. However, style guides are now pointing in that direction, even ones in the us where ideas about grammar tend to be more traditional. An apostrophe is an important punctuation mark that is often misused. The apostrophe has been partnered up with the letter s in a few different roles over the last 500 years, and as with many relationships the goalposts have shifted a little over time. Jan 01, 1997 the blue book of grammar and punctuation is filled with easytounderstand rules, realworld examples, dozens of reproducible exercises, and pre and posttests. Yes, there is a rule saying that if somebodys name ends in s not sure whether it is applicable to x too, you can use either charles or charless and pronounce those forms accordingly possessive apostrophes. For each of the following, choose the correct sentence.
Ive gathered a few references that i hope will be of use. With over 200,000 copies sold, this is one of the most highly trusted english language resources available. We first looked into the topic of where to properly place holiday apostrophes in a 2008 newsletter. The chief surgeon, an expert in organtransplant procedures, took her. English rules the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Traditional grammar classifies words based on eight parts of speech. The apostrophe would come after doctors if you were referring to more than one doctor. For other nouns, youd put just an apostrophe at the end, so if you had a bunch of cats and they had beds, you say that those are the cats beds, or if your parents shared a car, you would say it is your parents car. If the apostrophe appears before the letter s then it may denote that the possessive case is singular, i.
To form the possessive of singular nouns, add s, as in homers job or the dogs breakfast. Or, could doctors be seen as an adjective, describing the type of surgery. Is there an apostrophe after the name of my university. If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the faq by clicking the link above. Apostrophes punctuation rules blue book of grammar. A third use, the pluralisation of words and letters in such expressions as mind your ps and qs, is controversial. As the post states, for clarity, most writers use apostrophes with single capital letters and singledigit numbers. The apostrophe is needed here to show plural possessive. Apostrophes have two main uses in the english language. As a rule of thumb, adding the s to the apostrophe is a good idea. Clocks should have an apostrophe between the k and s. I went to the editorinchief house for dinner last night. Use an apostrophe after both names when two people possess two things separately.
The 70s form is incorrect because of the placement of the second apostrophe. Apostrophes the blue book of grammar and punctuation. It isnt the quantity of the noun singularplural that determines the placement of the apostrophe when forming the possessive. Hastings pen would not pronounce an added s, we would write mr. For example, the associated press ap stylebook is a guide specific for news media and journalists while the chicago manual of style cms is used by many book publishers and writers. This userfriendly resource includes simple explanations of grammar, punctuation, and usage. But what if the name is sanchez or church or williams. Use an apostrophe plus s to show the possessive form of a singular noun, even if that singular noun already ends in s. Apostrophe usage practice questions study guide zone. To show singular possession of a name ending in s or z, some writers add just an apostrophe. Interactive grammar quizzes the blue book of grammar and. With very few exceptions, apostrophes do not make nouns plural. Best picks books courteous writing email etiquette frequently. A revised and updated new edition of the bestselling workbook and grammar guide.
Possession johns car, a friend of mine english grammar today a reference to written and spoken english grammar and usage cambridge dictionary. The chicago manual of style and the associated press stylebook list the following holidays as singular possessives. If the word already ends in s, simply add an apostrophe to form the possessive. Perfect for business professionals, professors, teachers, students, and home schooling families, the blue book of grammar and punctuation is used in hundreds of universities, high schools, middle schools and corporations through the united states as well as in developing nations. To show plural possession of a name ending in s, ch, or z, form the plural first.
I showed you the specific rules for placing this ending on a possessive noun. Grammar and punctuation the blue book of grammar and. If the chemotherapy has no affecteffect, should she get surgery for the tumor. Each entry starts with a simple explanation and basic examples before moving to reallife, entertaining examples. The science projects effects were unforeseen and worldaltering. After making the acquaintance of tom stern, a marin county, california, writer and editor, kaufman recognized that stern possessed the knowledge, skills, experience, and passion needed to thoroughly reexamine the blue book and revise it to make it a firstrate grammar resource for everyone. Im sure this is a duplicate question, but heres something i wrote for a friend. Buy our book smashing grammar 2019 written by the founder of grammar monster, smashing grammar includes a glossary of grammar essentials from apostrophes to zeugma and a chapter on easily confused words from affecteffect to whetherif. The easiest way to make sure the apostrophe is in the right place is to adhere to the following twostep process of first writing the word as singular or plural, then doin. Using an unnecessary apostrophe to form the plural of a noun is a very common mistake. Style books do not agree on how to show ownership with singular nouns ending in s. Jul 24, 2019 use an apostrophe plus s to show the possessive form of a singular noun, even if that singular noun already ends in s. When you are denoting ownership, as in the doctors thermometer was in his pocket, you use an apostrophe. David is a proper noun that doesnt end in s, so to make this name possessive, you change it to davids.
Satans cheerleaders have set fire to the auditorium. Apostrophes with names ending in s, ch, or z grammar and. When the owner is plural, the apostrophe dangles after the s like the severed ear in blue velvet. I have always been aware of what the rules of english grammar and spelling have been but now i feel it is much more encouraged to not be gramattically challenged if that is a term but that could just be ontario. Apostrophes are a lot easier for those who slow down and do what it takes to get them right. Confusing possessives revisited grammar and punctuation. The number one mistake people make is confusing them as necessary for pluralizing a word. The apostrophe the apostrophe has two legitimate uses.
If the word doesnt end in s, add an apostrophe followed by s to form the possessive. Where do you put the apostrophe after names that end in s. The ap style manual makes the same recommendation if the noun is a common noun or a proper noun. Another problematic area is plural numbers and letters. Sentence fragments and runon sentences lone star college. To show possession, add an apostrophe followed by an s to the end of a singular noun that does not normally end in s. What is the proper apostrophe placement when using the letter. Apostrophes first showed up in the 1500s as a way to indicate omissions. I am a physician educator, and am amazed at the poor grammar especially the use of apostrophes in presentations by my physiciansintraining. The blue book of grammar and punctuation 11th edition.
But if a standard is really anything that doesnt look too weird, then youd write it with an apostrophe for everything eliminated thats the normal operation of an apostrophe, that is, an apostrophe on either side of the n. As you can imagine, keeping track of three powers is a lot of hard work, but dont worry. So my research questions were set attitudes and proficiency in apostrophes. Apostrophes with names ending in y grammar and punctuation.
Perfect for teachers, students, homeschooling families, businesses, and trainers. This handy workbook is ideal for teachers, students in middle school through college, esl students, homeschoolers, and professionals. Choose the rules and the order of use that are appropriate to the needs of your students. The apostrophe is used to show 1 possessives of nouns and some pronouns, 2 contractions, and 3 some plurals. There are conflicting policies and theories about how to. For instance, to show possession with singular nouns that dont end in s.
No one writing handbook or grammar guide should suffice for careful writers, and though jane strauss the blue book of grammar and punctuation is less comprehensive than some other resources, its largeformat workbook approach provides a readerfriendly introduction to the intricacies of proper prose straus was still a college student when she began her career as a writing consultant for. Jane straus, foremost expert, answers your burning english grammar and punctuation questions. I went to the editorinchiefs house for dinner last night. When using a possessive apostrophe for names that end in s, e. In the possessive case, a noun or pronoun changes its form to show that it. One major new use for the apostrophe was to indicate possession.
Grammar why an apostrophe is needed in doctors if this is your first visit, be sure to check out the faq by clicking the link above. Topics include grammar, punctuation, capitalization, writing numbers, spelling, vocabulary, confusing words, and synonyms and antonyms. Sometimes, its called the grocers apostrophe because of how frequently it is spotted in grocery store advertisements 3 oranges for a dollar. Plural nouns ending in an s simply take an apostrophe at the end to form a possessive noun. Sentence structure fragments, runons, comma splices. When sentences begin with subordinate conjunctions or relative pronouns, they must be joined to a main clause. To make sure your students develop good habits, make sure that they understand apostrophes are only used to denote possession or form contractions. This site uses cookies, some of which are required for its operation. This lesson will take the mystery out of the apostrophe s and leave you. You hold someone at the length of your arm singular, but are at the end of your wits plural. Many common nouns end in the letter s lens, cactus, bus, etc. If the plural noun ends in s, only add the apostrophe the girls toys. We use s after a singular noun and after a plural noun. If your noun is singular and ends in s then whether you add another s after the apostrophe is a matter of style, not grammar.
The writer should have rewritten that sentence to avoid the bizarrelooking construction. When is s used and when is s used to substitute for of. The parts of speech the writing centre university of ottawa. The blue book of grammar and punctuation, eleventh edition. It doesnt take a lifetime to master english grammar and punctuation. The chickens eggs were taken by the farmer early in the morning. In this post, well look at another apostrophe construction. The meeting of the medical directors will be held on christmas day, 2005.
Nov 04, 2010 the punctuation mark is called apostrophe. To show possession with a singular noun, add an apostrophe plus the letter s. The healthcare system received all as in its safety programs. The plurals for capital letters and numbers above nine do not require apostrophes, but some use them anyway. Possession johns car, a friend of mine english grammar today. Note that the position of the apostrophe before or after the s depends on whether the word is a plural form ending in s. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. Write the word as you would speak it, advises the blue book of grammar. In cases of compound nouns composed of more than one word, place the apostrophe after the last noun. Today, the most common place to find this kind of apostrophe is in contractions such as cant for cannot, thats for that is, and its for. Making an irregular plural noun possessive when it does not end in s is very simple. After the program starts, you will arrive at the main menu. The minister for justices intervention was required. If you are uncomfortable with the sentence no matter where you place the apostrophe, you could eliminate the need for an apostrophe altogether by rewording the sentence.
See rules 1b and 1c of apostrophes for more discussion. All it takes is the blue book of grammar and punctuation. While you can use an apostrophe to indicate multiple letters e. Grammar rules the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Since the placement of an apostrophe can change the very meaning of a word, the apostrophe uses a specific set of rules that h. The ultimate flowchart to using apostrophes infographic. The blue book of grammar and punctuation is a concise, entertaining workbook and guide to english grammar, punctuation, and usage.
The colon ending punctuation quotation marks the apostrophe the dash practice punctuation identify punctuation errors. Aug 08, 2019 in the 1600s and again in the 1700s, new uses emerged for the apostrophe, so its no wonder that people were and are confused 1, and it wasnt until the mid1800s that people even tried to set down firm rules for the apostrophe 2. Mig21s had made missile attacks on two other b52s in the area. A common apostrophe mistake is to make a word plural.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. They stand in for something thats missing, and they can be used to make a word possessive. More information on apostrophes with names can be found in our post apostrophes with names ending in s, ch, or z. Its a refresher for experts, a reference for lay people, and a lesson plan for teachers. Since the placement of an apostrophe can change the very meaning of a word, the apostrophe uses a specific. All the grammar, punctuation, and usage rules and examples on the website plus dozens of quizzes with answers. Mignon fogarty, author of grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing invaluable reference work for professional proofreaders, editors, and writers because it is the only book that presents chicago, ap, apa, and mla conventions side by side. The apostrophe with numbers, letters, and abbreviations. When the last comma in a series comes before and or or after daughterinlaw in theabove example, it is known as the oxford comma. But to be on the safe side, i suggest using the alexs form. The blue book of grammar and punctuation leans towards usage rules in cms along with other authoritative texts and does not attempt to conform to the ap.
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