Using apostrophes for possession apostrophes are used to show possession. Why apostrophe s, because s makes it possessive and that is how we feel about our animals. If a person becomes a passive viewer, this is the individuals fault rather than the tv programs. To show possession with a singular noun, add an apostrophe plus the letter s. It also has six useful resources for learning about apostrophes, including two videos, an interactive widget, an infographic, a slide show, and links to some exercises. The rules about how to use them are complicated, and have evolved haphazardly.
When we have a singular noun, we just add an apostrophe s like we have already seen. Apostrophe english grammar today a reference to written and spoken english grammar and usage cambridge dictionary. 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. Johns books, in addition to indicating the plural form of lowercase letters. The children s toys the geeses migration route style guides vary in their recommendations of what to do when you have a singular proper noun that ends in s. Language, grammar and spelling are not necessarily consistent but often based on.
A phenomenon named grammar girl outlines 9 ways to use an apostrophe but left me unclear whether it s a girls school or girls school. The simplest and most likely solution is to omit all apostrophes which dont convey any information, or questions like this wouldnt be asked and rely on syntax to distinguish the girls teams, and the boys teams. There are conflicting policies and theories about how to show. Grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing by mignon. Jan 04, 2017 learn when to use an apostrophe in your writing. Grammar girl apostrophe ruleslaseradv finder grammar girl apostrophe rulesapostrophe catastrophe part one grammar girl. The book, common sense or more specifically the authorship of the book, belongs equally to lederer and shore, so only the second name, shore, takes the apostrophe and s. Nov 01, 2006 our post apostrophes with names ending in s, ch, or z says, to show singular possession of a name ending in s or z, some writers add just an apostrophe. There are various times when the apostrophe followed by s is called for in grammar. Apostrophes with words ending in s grammar and punctuation. The apostrophe is seldom used to form a plural noun. If the noun is plural, the apostrophe usually goes after the s. Bbc look north explored some of the tricky grammatical issues and asked. So lets talk about the three basic rules here, you use apostrophes first and probably most often to form possessive noun, so if ive got the noun sarah im going to add an s to make that possessive.
Transcription spell by learning the possessive apostrophe singular, for example, the girls book. Grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing quick. When making contractions, the apostrophe takes the place of any missing letters in this case, the i in is and the ha in has. Since the 1980s, the thomases, both of whom have multiple phds, have sold old books and magazines at the fair on saturdays and sundays. Fogarty not only offers the grammar rules, but clear and sticky examples that should help anyone. Learn some common mistakes with apostrophes and how to properly use them apostrophe catastrophe part two grammar girl. Learn english with let s talk free english lessons 73,735 views 11. By contrast, when two or more nouns separately possess something, add an apostrophe to each noun listed.
Write the correct form of the words in the boxes below. She is an inductee in the podcasting hall of fame, and the show is a fivetime winner of best education podcast in the podcast awards. Each entry starts with a simple explanation and basic examples before moving to reallife, entertaining examples. Jul 24, 2019 note also how an example from section no. At last, a book that tells you exactly where to stick your. The punctuation symbol can also be used to show the possessive form of a noun possessive apostrophe, i.
Apostrophes have two main uses in the english language. Apostrophe s rules as possessive s and as contracted ishas exercise decide what it stands for. If there are multiple nouns that refer to more personsthings add s to both nouns. Decide whether the apostrophe s is possessive s or it stands for hasis. It is used to show when one noun possesses another noun. This form is used exclusively as a contraction of it is or it has. So let s talk about apostrophes, now apostrophes are one of the simplest punctuation marks but i think one of the trickiest to use. To form the possessive of a singular noun that does end in s or an s sound, add an apostrophe plus s to the noun. Use apostrophes with capital letters and numbers when the meaning would be unclear otherwise.
See rules 1b and 1c of apostrophes for more discussion. Other dormitorywithgirls movies are girls dormitory 1936 and bad girls dormitory 1985 the latter without. With very few exceptions, apostrophes do not make nouns plural. Most genitives are formed with s the term genitive includes a larger range of relationships than possessiveownership my dog, temporary possession his cookie, a natural trait his tail, a family relationship his mom, origin his city, performer of an action his arrival, and. Lets look at the way sentences are put together and the words that form them. The problem nearly always seems to stem from not understanding that the apostrophe has two very different and very important uses in english.
Plural words that dont end with s, such as children, do take an apostrophes at the end for possession. Girls, girls or girls apostrophes and girls investigator magazine. If a word is both plural and possessed, it gets an s followed by an apostrophe. Although it is not considered to be good english, you may add only the apostrophe words ending on unpronounced s. Jennifer lopezs music, the witnesss report, jamess poetry one exception to this rule is to add only an apostrophe when adding the apostrophe plus s makes the word difficult to pronounce. To show plural possession, make the noun plural first.
This short little book covers apostrophe usage with little asides like. Apostrophe rules can be broken into four main categories. See more ideas about apostrophe s, dogs and animals. There are hundreds of grammar rules but the basics refer to sentence structure and parts of speech, which are noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition and conjunction. To show possession by one person, use an apostrophe and add an s. Since the 1980 s, the thomas s, both of whom have multiple phd s, have sold old book s and magazine s at the fair on saturday s and. But just remember, in the case of its and its, an apostrophe is not needed for the possessive.
The market is used by the farmers, populated by the farmers, but generally not owned by the farmers. She may have purchased it herself or received it as a gift, but it. Possession johns car, a friend of mine english grammar. Other dormitorywithgirls movies are girls dormitory 1936 and bad girls dormitory 1985 the latter without the apostrophe but both without werewolves. To show plural possession of a name ending in s, ch, or z, form the plural first. Originally written as advice by a copywriter for designers wont to insert and remove apostrophes at will, for visual effect this is a lighthearted pocketsized guide to getting the fing things right. Sep 09, 20 its time for another grammar girl article. The apostrophe is needed here to show plural possessive. Apr 16, 2019 an apostrophe is used to show that certain letters have been omitted from a word contractions, i. The style that many of us are accustomed tosimply adding an apostrophe after the s e. In the absence of globally accepted rules that govern when apostrophes should be used. The apostrophe with numbers, letters, and abbreviations. Rules for using apostrophes this page covers the rules for using apostrophes. The most common use of apostrophes in english is for contractions, where a.
The question about whether the toons stadium should be written as st james or st jamess is certainly a talking point. I now declare simon griffin must go through the rest of the grammar rules and write some books about them. Get our grammar book from the link below for more practice. Sometimes to indicate the structure of unusual words. If there are many the word is plural, then just an s will do. Using an unnecessary apostrophe to form the plural of a noun is a very common mistake.
The apostrophe or character is a punctuation mark, and sometimes a diacritical mark, in languages that use the latin alphabet and some other alphabets. Grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing. But just between you and me, you can use this shootfromthehip style in personal email. The adelaide phone book has a list headed schoolsgirls. This video gives examples on how to use an apostrophe in english grammar. An apostrophe is used to show that certain letters have been omitted from a word contractions, i. A phenomenon named grammar girl outlines 9 ways to use an apostrophe but left me unclear whether its a girls school or girls school. The english apostrophe s and s apostrophe cause a lot of problems, even for native speakers. Most genitives are formed with s the term genitive includes a larger range of relationships than possessiveownership my dog, temporary possession his cookie, a natural trait his tail, a family relationship his mom, origin his city, performer of an action his arrival, and more. Pauls, julies, mikes, and susans are all possessive nouns.
Sometimes, its called the grocers apostrophe because of how frequently it is spotted in grocery store advertisements 3 oranges for a dollar. Like all the best grammar and language books, including my own, this one falls foul of muphrys law. Some writers and editors add only an apostrophe to all nouns ending in s. All you have to do is remember that if theres ownership or possession, then the word should take apostrophe s. For example, the aardvarks pencil, where there is an apostrophes at the end of aardvark. For example, you could write, fortunately, the childrens room had a hidden doorway, with children s written as children apostrophes. The rules in the apostrophes with names ending in s, ch, or z section of our blog state, to show the plural of a name that ends in s, ch, or z, add es. Some of the most basic and important english grammar rules relate directly to sentence structure. If the word ending with s is plural, add an apostrophe at the end to make it possessive. Some of the most basic and important english grammar rules relate directly to sentence. Girls the apostrophe before the s occurs in leonard maltins movie guide. Possession johns car, a friend of mine english grammar today a reference to written and spoken english grammar and usage cambridge dictionary. With pronouns, nouns, question words or words like there and here. Many common nouns end in the letter s lens, cactus, bus, etc.
Written with the wit, warmth, and accessibility that the podcasts are known for, grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing covers the grammar rules and wordchoice guidelines that can confound even the best writers. They stand in for something thats missing, and they can be used to make a word possessive. Apostrophes and plurals grammar girl quick and dirty tips. This lessons task is to help you learn about possessives and contractions that need apostrophes and plurals that dont.
The english language has many exceptions to seemingly hard and fast rules. Mignot fogarty, better known as grammar girl provides the public with an accessible reference on punctuation. 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 rule 1. Now, there are some simple rules about how to use the apostrophe s. Read on to discover all the apostrophe rules youll ever need to know. Punctuation is not grammar and doesnt follow grammatical rules. Learn some common mistakes with apostrophes and how to properly use them. Its arbitrary, and especially in the case of apostrophes, chaotic. 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. It s arbitrary, and especially in the case of apostrophes, chaotic.
So let s talk about the three basic rules here, you use apostrophes first and probably most often to form possessive noun, so if ive got the noun sarah im going to add an s to make that possessive. Apostrophe english grammar today cambridge dictionary. Mignon fogarty is the founder of quick and dirty tips and the author of seven books on language, including the new york times bestseller. Apostrophes first showed up in the 1500s as a way to indicate omissions. Nov 07, 2016 apostrophe rules english grammar lesson to improve writings skills punctuation marks duration. Today, the most common place to find this kind of apostrophe is in contractions such as cant for cannot, thats for that is. Apostrophe rules english grammar lesson to improve writings skills punctuation marks duration. How to use apostrophes with nouns, pronouns, abbreviations, last names, first names, contractions, and more. There are a few different ways to form the possessive of a noun. The plurals for capital letters and numbers used as nouns are not formed with apostrophes. Mignon fogarty is the founder of quick and dirty tips and the author of seven books on language. So it seems reasonable to conclude that you dont use an apostrophe because the word farmers is there to identify the type of market.
The apostrophe probably causes more grief than all of the other punctuation marks put together. The marking of the omission of one or more letters as in the contraction of do not to dont the marking of possessive case of nouns as in the eagles feathers, or in one months. Apostrophes punctuation rules the blue book of grammar. Written with the wit, warmth, and accessibility that the podcasts are known for, grammar girl s quick and dirty tips for better writing covers the grammar rules and wordchoice guidelines that can confound even the best writers. If the apostrophe appears before the letter s then it may denote that the possessive case is singular, i. 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. Mignon fogarty is the founder of quick and dirty tips and the author of seven books on language, including the new york times bestseller grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing. So lets talk about apostrophes, now apostrophes are one of the simplest punctuation marks but i think one of the trickiest to use. With the addition of s or sometimes just the apostrophe, a noun can change from a simple person, place, or thing to a person, place, or thing that owns something. One major new use for the apostrophe was to indicate possession.
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