CONCEPT OF WORD EDITING - LESSON 5 APOSTROPHES Apostrophes are used to show omission, show plurals of single letters and show possession. General Rules: Use common contractions whenever possible, unless theres a task-specific exception. Failure to use common contractions equates to word count padding. When using an apostrophe with a pronoun to show possession, make sure the meaning requires an apostrophe (your vs. you’re, its vs. it’s, whose vs. who’s). Show Omission Omission of letters: An apostrophe notes the omission of letters at the beginning, middle or end of a word. rock ‘n’ roll ne‘er ‘til Omission of figures: An apostrophe notes the omission of figures in years and decades. Ensure the implied century is obvious within the context. 1920s to ‘20s class of 1978 to class of ‘78 Show Plurals of Letters and Numbers Rule: Apostrophes are used to show the plural form of single letters. The student earned four A’s and two B’s. Dot your i’s, and cross your t’s. Note: Apostrophes are not used to show plurals of numerals or multi-letter combinations. Show Possession Nouns with the same spelling for singular and plural forms: Treat them as plural nouns even when the meaning is singular. Add ‘s to show possession for those not ending in s, and add only the apostrophe to show possession for those ending in s. the two deer’s antlers the lone pair of scissors’ handle the two fish’s scales Plural nouns ending in s: Add only the apostrophe to show possession. the girls’ room the horses’ corral the states’ borders the CEOs’ dining area Plural nouns not ending in s: Add ‘s to show possession. men’s women’s alumni’s Plural noun forms with a singular meaning: Add only the apostrophe to show possession, but also view the section on inanimate objects below. shingles’ symptoms the news’ headlines Rule: For names of entities in plural form, follow the same construction. United States’ security Smith Brothers’ profit Singular common nouns ending in s: Add ‘s to show possession if the following word does not start with s. If the following word starts with s, use only the apostrophe to show possession. the waitress’s aprons the waitress’ shifts Singular nouns not ending in s: Add ‘s to show possession. the girl’s room the horse’s corral the state’s borders the CEO’s dining area Exception: Words ending with an ‘s’ sound that are followed by a word starting with s. In these cases, add only the apostrophe to show possession. appearance’ sake conscience’ sake OTHERWISE: APPEARANCE’S COST CONSCIENCE’S VOICE Singular proper names ending in s: Add only the apostrophe to show possession. Mr. Jones’ Curtis’ hat Pronouns: Interrogative and relative pronouns show possession with different forms (yours, ours, mine, its, theirs, his, hers). For other pronouns, follow the applicable rules for nouns. anyone’s guess others’ choices another’s opportunity Compound words: Using the applicable rules for nouns based on spelling and/or meaning, use the apostrophe on the word closest to the object being possessed. anyone else’s opinion the lieutenant governor’s mansions (one governor) the lieutenant governors’ mansion (more than one governor) Descriptive phrases: Don’t add an apostrophe to a word ending in s when it’s used descriptively instead of to show possession. a writers cheat sheet Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Note: To determine if the word is used descriptively, check if the long form of the phrase includes “for” or “by.” If it does, skip the apostrophe. a cheat sheet for writers a defensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers Inanimate objects: There is no rule on using plurals and showing possession for inanimate objects, but avoid personifying them too often. Instead, use an “of” construction. symptoms of shingles, not shingles’ symptoms the headlines of the news, not the news’ headlines Joint ownership of inanimate objects: For an object that is owned jointly, use an apostrophe after the last word only. For objects owned individually, use an apostrophe after both words. JOINT OWNERSHIP: Sammie and Beth’s office Maggie and Sam’s desk INDIVIDUAL OWNERSHIP: Sammie’s and Beth’s offices Maggie’s and Sam’s desks
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 23:26:10 +0000
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