I just started to watch a netflix tv show called haunted, people are telling true stories and in the first episode the guy is often using the word would for example this would happen every night while hes talking about past events. Debate has raged among grammarians over some of its more esoteric uses,but the rules for its two most important functions possession and omission are pretty clear. Misplaced apostrophes can indicate that one person owns something that really belongs to more than one, or they can turn a plural noun into a possessive. If there are more than one errors, separate corrected words with a space and a hyphen as in the examples. How to reference books and articles in text grammar and. My choices would be either the greens name, no apostrophe or something along the lines of greens goodies, greens basket, or the greens grub possessive name that modifies a noun, with or wo the. Some computers will change an apostrophe to a single quotation mark in this case. Classically, it is not correct to just add an apostrophe to a last name that already ends in s if it is singular possessive. Apostrophes punctuation rules grammar and punctuation. For example, the students books are the books that belong to the students, as opposed to the students books which only belong to one student. For example, chop wi out of i will, throw in an apostrophe, and you have ill.
The practice of putting improper apostrophes in family names on signs in front yards is an endless source of confusion. If you wanted to suggest the residence of the browns you would have to write the browns, with the apostrophe after the s, which is there to indicate a plural number. 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. Many common nouns end in the letter s lens, cactus, bus, etc. The logic is that all names should be treated the same. This reader wants to know why we write 1980s and not 1980s. One of us is saying that there should always be a possessive s if there needs to be one, even in titles, and one of us is saying that its just omitted because of style, that it simply is not s to make the title look better. If a name ends with an s the apostrophe can go at the end of the word example. Apostrophe s possessive nouns lesson in the free english course here on this website the apostrophe s in english lesson on my grammar. The rules for apostrophe usage are fairly straight forward and it shouldnt be difficult to check whether or not apostrophes are used in the correct manner.
The apostrophe is one of the hardest working punctuation marks in the english language. A punctuation mark, and sometimes a diacritic mark, in languages that use the latin alphabet or. Interesting timing, this question, given that eve and i were just recently working on edits to a book when this question came up for us. Technically, the rule when writing is that you add an apostrophe s for singular possessive, and just the apostrophe for plural possessive, to names ending in s, no matter how they are pronounced. The apostrophe is used to show 1 possessives of nouns and some pronouns, 2 contractions, and 3 some plurals. A few words are sufficiently confusing that we want to indicate to the reader how the word is constructed. When using a possessive apostrophe for names that end in s, e. What is the correct use of the apostrophe for a sign that.
May, 2014 in honour of the bad grammar awards, we asked readers to share examples of grammatical gaffes by institutions or people who should know better and you sent in more than a few rogue apostrophes. Jan 26, 2017 when an apostrophe comes before a word or number, be sure that its truly an apostrophe rather than a single quotation mark. Mary and johns house the house belongs to both mary and john, edward and madeleines books the books belong to both edward and madeleine. Since the 1980s, the thomases, both of whom have multiple phds, have sold old books. My last name is karsies and i am a 4th grade teacher who is a grammar fanatic.
In the past, the generally accepted preferred form for using a possessive when the persons name ends in the l. How to use apostrophes to form contractions dummies. The smiths and the likestark reminders that possessives still throw many people for a. Although it may seem complicated at first, the rules of pluralizing last names are actually pretty simple, as slate has pointed out. Ontario training network grammar tip apostrophes with. There are check grammar online free tools that you can use to know if you correctly write the apostrophe or not. Using an unnecessary apostrophe to form the plural of a noun is a very common mistake. Smiths is the possessive form of the plural proper noun smiths. Spelling and pronunciation, verbs, pronouns, nouns and articles, word order, and more. Apostrophes with names ending in s, ch, or z are you confused about how to show the plural and the possessive of certain names.
To show possession with a singular noun, add an apostrophe plus the letter s. If the noun is plural, or already ends in s, just add an apostrophe after the s. How to use apostrophes mary morel online writing training. Learn how to make plural words possessive, how to make words that end in s plural, and what to do about abbreviations. We do not use the apostrophe s to make singular words plural. Why do authors think apostrophes make characters seem exotic. At last, a book that tells you exactly where to stick your apostrophe david marsh simon griffins irreverent pocketsized guide to a tricky piece of punctuation is the perfect stocking filler. In his book american speech, linguist steven byington stated of the apostrophe that the language would be none the worse for. I dont care whether its james or john, jones or smith.
Long, long ago, the irish had several forms of patronymic names. Apostrophes with names video grammar videos on usage. I guarantee that not a student leaves my class without learning the difference between its and its. Thus, if i wanted my last name to show possession it would need to say. Apostrophes are also misplaced in common plural nouns on signs. Apostrophes are hardworking little punctuation marks that can indicate a. Apostrophes punctuation rules the blue book of grammar.
To show plural possession of a name ending in s, ch, or z, form the. Add es for names ending in s or z and add s for everything else. To show plural possession, make the proper noun plural first, then use the apostrophe. I think marmaladequeens grammar book is ambitious in trying to apply logic to english, but that is the modern convention. The grammar book allows exceptions for historical nouns, so the examples in the answer to the abovelinked question would pass muster. If a persons name ends with an s like jonas, how would. The apostrophe is a punctuation mark used in writing. Sometimes, its called the grocers apostrophe because of how frequently it is spotted in grocery store advertisements 3 oranges for a dollar. It is a diacritic a mark used with letters in english, it has two jobs. Some writers and editors add only an apostrophe to all nouns ending in s.
Apostrophes and plural names with examples grammar monster. Read on to discover all the apostrophe rules youll ever need to know. Mary and johns house the house belongs to both mary and john, edward and madeleines books the. To show plural possession, make the noun plural first. I was taught james, but in the eat shoots and leaves book, it says that it is now jamess, but this looks wrong.
According to the ap style book, the one time when you dont add a. The apostrophe is used to indicate that a letter or letters hashave been removed. Apostrophes in company names a former contestant on the reality show the apprentice started a business named bakers toolkit, and her twitter followers went bonkers about the missing apostrophe. These names were mainly fixed in form many years before grammatical rules were fully standardised. Apostrophe rules can be broken into four main categories.
May 17, 2016 why is the place name in england lands end but the american corporation lands end. News uk home news you say st james, i say st jamess. If a kid has some books, then the kids books will clearly express that. We could not in good conscience sanction the pluralizing of book or movie titles. To show singular possession of a name ending in ch, add s on the end of the name. 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. Until now, i always assumed that a singular noun ending in s needed an apostrophe then an s to show possession. I know there are varying opinions on which is correct, james or jamess. Jul 24, 2019 an apostrophe is a mark of punctuation used to identify a noun in the possessive case or indicate the omission of one or more letters from a word. It was just a mistake, and now the company is stuck with its misplaced apostrophe. Rules for plural and possessive names merriamwebster.
Yes, the letter after the apostrophe should be capitalised. When to form a plural with an apostrophe daily writing tips. I see many of these signs that use the family name with an apostrophe as in the wilsons. In english you can use contractions to shorten a word by removing one letter or more and substituting an apostrophe in the same spot. If your last name ends in ch but is pronounced with a hard k sound, like the word monarch, add only an s rather than es.
How to use the apostrophe english language help desk. The apostrophe is seldom used to form a plural noun. Apostrophes can also be used to form plurals for abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols in cases where forming a plural in the conventional way would make the sentence ambiguous. However, if the name or word itself ends in s for example, dress or ozymandias, then you find yourself in muddier waters. The apostrophe or character is a punctuation mark, and sometimes a diacritical mark. See rules 1b and 1c of apostrophes for more discussion. However, im sure that i learnt at school which, admittedly, was a while ago that for a singular proper noun ending in.
It is used to show when one noun possesses another noun. Aug 27, 20 in honor of international apostrophe day, august 16, were going to talk about apostrophes in science fiction and fantasy names. When an apostrophe is needed to show the possessive form of a plural family name e. Oct 29, 2015 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. The members of the johnson and smith families, for instance, are the johnsons and the smiths, not the johnsons and the smiths. The ultimate flowchart to using apostrophes infographic. Home grammar punctuation words style faq useful links contact. By contrast, when two or more nouns separately possess something, add an apostrophe to each noun listed. There are conflicting policies and theories about how to show possession when writing such nouns. From all souls college, oxford to st andrews in scotland, our humble little punctuation mark is notable by its absence, presumably. Did the rules change or do people just do that because you cant really underline words on most websites. When indicating the possessive, if there is more than one owner add an apostrophe to the plural, if there is one owner, add s to the singular the smiths car vs smiths car.
For names that end in ch, s, sh, x, and z, add es to make them plural. Nov 04, 2010 the punctuation mark is called apostrophe. When to use apostrophes with so many different punctuation rules that need to be followed when writing the english language, it can sometimes get confusing. Its worth noting that it was not always so, and that classical names are often written with just a trailing apostrophe socrates writings, jesus love. We only use an apostrophe if the name ends in a vowel with the exception of the mute e or the letter s. This book offers a hilarious introduction to the correct use of apostrophes. The apostrophe probably causes more grief than all of the other punctuation marks put. And check out our books about the english language. You can now learn all about who and whom, affect and effect, subjects and verbs, adjectives and adverbs, commas, semicolons, quotation marks, and much more by just sitting back and enjoying these short, easytofollow videos on usage.
As the apostrophe did not arrive in english until the 16th century, it should not be a surprise that a great many place names with a possessive slant do not feature apostrophes at all. An apostrophe is a punctuation mark used to show possession or to show the omission of letters. To indicate joint possession, add the appropriate possessive sign an apostrophe plus s or an apostrophe alone to the final name. If the apostrophe appears before the letter s then it may denote that the possessive case is singular, i. How come there is an apostrophe in some surnames like o. Feb 27, 2015 everything you need to know about this little mark. I was taught that the s was only used if the noun was plural and ending in s and s was used for the singular so i would go for jamess even though it. Most nouns ending in s are pluralized by adding es. To make everyday life and special occasions brightest, follow this simple rule of grammar.
The apostrophe in contractions the most common use of apostrophes in. The problem nearly always seems to stem from not understanding that the apostrophe has two very different and very important uses in english. Poll some of the most respected publications in the world approach this apostrophe rule differently. Apostrophes quiz 2 the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Unless you want to make your last name possessive, there arent. Dont use it unless you want to make clear the mertzes, for example, own something.
To show plural possession of a name ending in s, ch, or z, form the plural first. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. For most names, you add an apostrophe and an s to make the possessive form. Ive been known to sentence my college level editing students to reading the cautionary tale aloud to the class when they make apostrophe errors. If only they had used an apostrophe, the meaning would have been clear. Apostrophes quiz 1 from the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Jan 12, 2012 when i was in elementary school i learned that if its a book title you underline it, but if its a story in a collection, then you use apostrophes. Nowadays though, whenever i see a book title on the internet its always put in apostrophes. I understood that making text entities with nonletter characters into a plural form, you separate the s from the term with an apostrophe 1900s, jones, smiths, or bang. Language researcher david graddol predicts that in 2010 there will be 2 billion people on the planet speaking english, of. When you write a books name, do you use apostrophes or. Mark, youve done a great job of clarifying a tricky rule.
Would you please comment on the use of apostrophes in names on plaques outside family homes. Plural and possessive forms with names ending in y or i. The apostrophe can be used for this if it is really necessary, but mostly it isnt. Apostrophes with names ending in s, ch, or z grammar blog. We are in a muddle over apostrophe s david lister reports on a disturbing grammatical trend that will leave purists aghast with. If you are referring to a house to belong to a family named smith, the sign would read the future home of. Apostrophe simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Jan 11, 2018 whenever youre not sure whether an apostrophes required or where it goes, this flowchart will guide you in using apostrophes correctly. If you cant use an apostrophe, you dont know your shit mind your. To show where one or more letters have been left out as in the abbreviation contraction of do not to dont. Not surprisingly, its also one of the most misused. Apostrophe english grammar today a reference to written and spoken english grammar and usage cambridge dictionary. It shows a relationship of belonging between one thing and another.
You dont have to be a grammar wizard to get the right answer. Neal whitman points out that they were missing something too. If it appears after the s, then it will most likely be plural, i. The apostrophe probably causes more grief than all of the other punctuation marks put together. Apostrophe s rules as possessive s and as contracted ishas exercise decide what it stands for. Im from hungary and since here we only have 3 tenses english grammar can be really confusing to me. Apr 05, 2012 adding an apostrophe the greens makes your name a possessive adjective, which cant stand alone. Grammar and punctuation the blue book of grammar and. However checking apostrophe grammar using our free online apostrophe checker is faster and less likely to overlook any usage mistakes. There have been several suggestions to use our, yet if the text refers to a group of people, all of whom own coown houses with some others within the group, then the above style wording would be necessary, so my question stands. However, many current style manuals recommend italicizing book titles and magazine names impossible to do on a typewriter and using quotation marks around articles. Aug 12, 2019 get grammar girls take on apostrophe catastrophe.
Maybe you know to write i met the smiths, i drove brenda smiths ferrari, and i visited the smiths house. Where to place the possessive apostrophe in a surname. Therefore, the plural is gillises, and the plural possessive is gillises. To show the plural of a name that ends with a ch, s, or z sound, add es. In grammarspeak, this is called the possessive case. How to make your last name plural english grammar revolution. With very few exceptions, apostrophes do not make nouns plural. Apostrophes with words ending in s the blue book of. While that may sound simple enough, many people are baffled by the little squiggle. Pet peeves, apostrophes, and plural family names writeshop. Adding a noun or proper name before a possessive pronoun. The possessive form is used with nouns referring to people, groups of people, countries, and animals. 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.
Apostrophes with names ending in s, ch, or z grammar and. Making a last name plural should never involve an apostrophe. Apostrophes are a punctuation mark that can be used in a variety of ways. The use of apostrophes in last names is no different from their use in any other word. Grammar checkers will not help you much with your apostrophes. The rules for pluralization, singular possession, and plural possession are the same as the rules for names ending in y. The apostrophe in contractions the most common use of apostrophes in english is for contractions, where a noun. Before computers, we used typewriters to underline book titles, and we placed quotation marks around article titles. The rule here is the same as it would be for any name the apostrophe plus s at the end can signify either a contraction or a possessive. Some of you may be wondering about names ending in i. If the possessive involves a last name with s or z, you can add either. Best ways to use apostrophes in names our finest apostrophe. The rules for using apostrophes with names are basically the same as those for all other nouns.
If a personal names ends in s add an apostrophe plus s, unless it is the name of an organisation. It is also important to know about rules in using apostrophes in names so that you will not have a hard time in writing. Proper nouns names of people, cities, countries that end in s can form the. Where to place the possessive apostrophe in a surname by mark nichol you see them all the time during rural drives and suburban errands alike, those oldefashioned wooden shingles mounted on mailboxes or dangling from porches or fastened to walls. Things can get really confusing with the possessive plurals of proper names. Grammar, etymology, usage, and more, brought to you by patricia t. His dads quirky grammar book was top of olivers christmas list. You will use apostrophe with s for possessive singular nouns. How do you know when to add an apostrophe to more than one of something that forms a proper noun, such as a persons last name.
Apostrophes in science fiction and fantasy names are often attributed to anne mccaffrey, whose popular dragonriders of pern series included character names such as flar. There are conflicting policies and theories about how to. Apostrophe english grammar today cambridge dictionary. At last, a book that tells you exactly where to stick your. 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. How to use possessive apostrophes with numbers in text quora. Each entry starts with a simple explanation and basic examples before moving to reallife, entertaining examples. Dragonflight, the first book in the series was published in 1968, but appeared in short story form in analog science fiction magazine in late 1967. Grammar checkers do not always highlight this mistake, as they do not know the meaning of the sentence. I see these errors frequently, and they drive me crazy.