{"id":5895,"date":"2017-02-02T16:20:32","date_gmt":"2017-02-02T21:20:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/english\/?p=5895"},"modified":"2017-02-10T12:07:48","modified_gmt":"2017-02-10T17:07:48","slug":"possessing-the-apostrophe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/english\/possessing-the-apostrophe\/","title":{"rendered":"Possessing the Apostrophe"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

The misuse of an apostrophe<\/strong> drives me crazy. Seriously, I have been known to scream out loud when I see signs like the one pictured. Let\u2019s explain the apostrophe and, hopefully, take steps to make this world a saner place.<\/p>\n

An apostrophe is a punctuation mark<\/strong> used to denote either possession<\/strong>, or the omission of at least one letter in a contraction<\/strong>. That\u2019s it. Don\u2019t overcomplicate it. There are rules regarding how <\/u>to use it, particularly if the possessive word ends in an \u201cs\u201d, but everything you need to know about using apostrophes is really that simple.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an example:<\/p>\n

Chris is a student at Williams College in western Massachusetts. Chris walks into the college\u2019s student lounge to buy two coffees. Just then, Chris\u2019s good friends Pedro and Martin Valdes walk into the lounge. It\u2019s clear to Chris that the Valdes brothers are also there to buy coffees. As much as he\u2019d like to drink them, Chris offers his coffees to the brothers. Just before they take their first sip, Chris tells Pedro and Martin that the coffees he bought are flavored. Pedro asks Chris what the coffees\u2019 flavors are.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re hazelnut coffees,\u201d Chris replies.<\/p>\n

Since they\u2019re both allergic to nuts, Pedro and Martin reluctantly hand their coffees back to Chris.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, man,\u201d says Martin. \u201cYou\u2019re kind to offer, but you can have your coffees back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chris laughed nervously. \u201cWow, good thing you guys thought to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pedro said, \u201cIt\u2019s okay. I should have known by its aroma that my coffee was nut-based.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin added, \u201cEnjoy your coffees, Chris. Better drink \u2018em before they get cold.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot going on in that story, so let me break it down for you.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. There are three words in the first sentence ending in the letter \u201cs\u201d. However, since neither is being used as a contraction or as a possessive, there is no need for an apostrophe.<\/li>\n
  2. In the second sentence, college<\/em> is used as a possessive, because the student lounge belongs to the college. So, college has an apostrophe.<\/li>\n
  3. In sentence #3, Chris<\/em> is a possessive name ending in \u201cs\u201d<\/strong>, so it requires an apostrophe, followed by another \u201cs\u201d. However, according to some English language guides, It would<\/u> be acceptable to omit the second \u201cs\u201d. Whichever rule you choose to follow in the case of a possessive name ending in \u201cs\u201d, you must remain consistent.<\/li>\n
  4. It\u2019s <\/em>is a contraction of the words it <\/em>and is<\/em>. The apostrophe is required. You may wonder why there is no apostrophe after Valdes<\/em> in this sentence. In this case, they are the two Valdes brothers, not the brothers belonging to someone else named Valdes.<\/li>\n
  5. In the fifth sentence, he\u2019d <\/em>is a contraction of he <\/em>and would<\/em>. Remember that the apostrophe is an indication of letters missing, so there may be more<\/u> than one letter absent.<\/li>\n
  6. There is no need for an apostrophe in the sixth sentence.<\/li>\n
  7. Coffees <\/em>is a plural possessive noun<\/strong>, meaning that the word is already plural and it is the possessive of the word which follows it, flavors<\/em>. The flavors belong to the two coffees. So, the apostrophe belongs after the \u201cs\u201d,<\/li>\n
  8. They\u2019re is<\/em> a contraction of they<\/em> and are<\/em>. In contrast, their is a\u00a0possessive pronoun<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  9. You\u2019re <\/em>is a contraction of you<\/em> and are<\/em>. Your is a pronoun<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  10. Guys <\/em>is a plural noun<\/strong>. Thought<\/em> is a verb<\/strong>. Therefore, there is no possessive in Chris\u2019s response.<\/li>\n
  11. Okay, here\u2019s where it gets really confusing. It\u2019s <\/em>is a contraction of the words it <\/em>and is<\/em>. The apostrophe is needed. However, its<\/em> is the possessive form of the neuter pronoun it<\/em>. Possessive pronouns, also including his <\/em>and her<\/em>, do not use an apostrophe.<\/li>\n
  12. Finally, I threw in an informal, colloquial abbreviation<\/strong>, \u2018em<\/em>. While not properly a contraction, this is a common shortened version of the pronoun them<\/em>. While it lacks enunciation and clarity, most English speakers understand it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    And, if I may offer a little advice, when in doubt, look it up. You don\u2019t want to make that sign twice.<\/p>\n

    Photo<\/a> by Andrew M. Butler on Flickr<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

    The misuse of an apostrophe drives me crazy. Seriously, I have been known to scream out loud when I see signs like the one pictured. Let\u2019s explain the apostrophe and, hopefully, take steps to make this world a saner place. An apostrophe is a punctuation mark used to denote either possession, or the omission of…<\/p>\n

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