Best picks books courteous writing email etiquette frequently. The blue book of grammar and punctuation is a concise, entertaining workbook and guide to english grammar, punctuation, and usage. To see the entire contents of the blue book of grammar and punc. The ap style manual makes the same recommendation if the noun is a common noun or a proper noun. Now in its tenth edition, the blue book is a masterpiece of clarity and usefulness. Various situations in possessives grammar call for a few seemingly tricky rules. Perfect for teachers, students, homeschooling families, businesses, and trainers.
A revised and updated new edition of the bestselling workbook and grammar guide. To make sure your students develop good habits, make sure that they understand apostrophes are only used to denote possession or form contractions. In this sentence, books is a noun, the subject of the sentence. 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. Of these 7 were postgraduate students at the university of glasgows school of computing. Full of helpful, realworld examples, exercises, tests, and answers. The writer should have rewritten that sentence to avoid the bizarrelooking construction.
For proper names, you add the apostrophe s to the end. If the apostrophe appears before the letter s then it may denote that the possessive case is singular, i. Is there an apostrophe after the name of my university. One major new use for the apostrophe was to indicate possession. 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. To show plural possession, always make the noun plural first, then use the apostrophe. If the plural noun ends in s, only add the apostrophe the girls toys. When is s used and when is s used to substitute for of. As you can imagine, keeping track of three powers is a lot of hard work, but dont worry. More information on apostrophes with names can be found in our post apostrophes with names ending in s, ch, or z. The blue book of grammar and punctuation is a perfect match for teaching english to young adult esl students. To form the possessive of singular nouns, add s, as in homers job or the dogs breakfast. The apostrophe the apostrophe has two legitimate uses.
The blue book of grammar and punctuation 11th edition. Apostrophes have two main uses in the english language. It isnt the quantity of the noun singularplural that determines the placement of the apostrophe when forming the possessive. Confusing possessives revisited grammar and punctuation. Each entry starts with a simple explanation and basic examples before moving to reallife, entertaining examples. Preface and acknowledgments the blue book of grammar and. Nov 04, 2010 the punctuation mark is called apostrophe. Jane straus, foremost expert, answers your burning english grammar and punctuation questions. David is a proper noun that doesnt end in s, so to make this name possessive, you change it to davids. Mig21s had made missile attacks on two other b52s in the area.
Apostrophes the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Apostrophe usage practice questions study guide zone. I was taught james, but in the eat shoots and leaves book, it says that it is now jamess, but this looks wrong. So my research questions were set attitudes and proficiency in apostrophes. Hastings pen would not pronounce an added s, we would write mr. Ive gathered a few references that i hope will be of use. 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. Where do you put the apostrophe after names that end in s. While you can use an apostrophe to indicate multiple letters e. The apostrophe with numbers, letters, and abbreviations.
Or, could doctors be seen as an adjective, describing the type of surgery. Apostrophes are generally not used to form english plurals, but there are a few exceptions. 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. To show possession, add an apostrophe followed by an s to the end of a singular noun that does not normally end in s. The chief surgeon, an expert in organtransplant procedures, took her. The 70s form is incorrect because of the placement of the second apostrophe. 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. This handy workbook is ideal for teachers, students in middle school through college, esl students, homeschoolers, and professionals. Apostrophes with names ending in s, ch, or z grammar and. When the last comma in a series comes before and or or after daughterinlaw in theabove example, it is known as the oxford comma. Our rule 1a of apostrophes says, use the apostrophe to show possession.
With over 200,000 copies sold, this is one of the most highly trusted english language resources available. The plurals for capital letters and numbers used as nouns are not formed with apostrophes. We first looked into the topic of where to properly place holiday apostrophes in a 2008 newsletter. When sentences begin with subordinate conjunctions or relative pronouns, they must be joined to a main clause. The use of apostrophe s has proven confusing to many people, so if it confuses you, try not to worry. Possession johns car, a friend of mine english grammar today a reference to written and spoken english grammar and usage cambridge dictionary. We use s after a singular noun and after a plural noun. All it takes is the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Grammar and punctuation the blue book of grammar and. 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. The colon ending punctuation quotation marks the apostrophe the dash practice punctuation identify punctuation errors.
However, style guides are now pointing in that direction, even ones in the us where ideas about grammar tend to be more traditional. 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. If the word already ends in s, simply add an apostrophe to form the possessive. For instance, to show possession with singular nouns that dont end in s. We use apostrophe s s, also called possessive s, as a determiner to show that something belongs to someone or something. Add an apostrophe then the s just as if it were a singular noun like this. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Its a refresher for experts, a reference for lay people, and a lesson plan for teachers. Sentence fragments and runon sentences lone star college. Jan 11, 2018 147 words to use instead of very infographic the visual guide to english prepositions part 12 infographic affect vs.
Our hero, the apostrophe, is super tough and super organized, too. There are conflicting policies and theories about how to. Another problematic area is plural numbers and letters. 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. Are you confused about how to show the plural and the possessive of certain names. I showed you the specific rules for placing this ending on a possessive noun. The minister for justices intervention was required. This site uses cookies, some of which are required for its operation. Apostrophes are a lot easier for those who slow down and do what it takes to get them right. The healthcare system received all as in its safety programs. They stand in for something thats missing, and they can be used to make a word possessive.
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. Sentence structure fragments, runons, comma splices. An apostrophe is an important punctuation mark that is often misused. Here are some examples of appositives the noun or pronoun will be in blue. 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. Satans cheerleaders have set fire to the auditorium. When you are denoting ownership, as in the doctors thermometer was in his pocket, you use an apostrophe. Apostrophes first showed up in the 1500s as a way to indicate omissions. To show plural possession of a name ending in s, ch, or z, form the plural first. The parts of speech the writing centre university of ottawa.
To show singular possession of a name ending in s or z, some writers add just an apostrophe. I am a physician educator, and am amazed at the poor grammar especially the use of apostrophes in presentations by my physiciansintraining. Traditional grammar classifies words based on eight parts of speech. When the owner is plural, the apostrophe dangles after the s like the severed ear in blue velvet. 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. If the word doesnt end in s, add an apostrophe followed by s to form the possessive. You hold someone at the length of your arm singular, but are at the end of your wits plural. A common apostrophe mistake is to make a word plural.
Apostrophes punctuation rules blue book of grammar. 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. Maybe you know to write i met the smiths, i drove brenda smiths ferrari, and i visited the smiths house. Place a check mark in front ofsentences that are correct. The chickens eggs were taken by the farmer early in the morning. When using a possessive apostrophe for names that end in s, e. But to be on the safe side, i suggest using the alexs form. The meeting of the medical directors will be held on christmas day, 2005. Apostrophes quiz 1 the blue book of grammar and punctuation.
Of course, there are many plural nouns in english that are irregular and do not end in s. If so, does it belong to one doctor, or all the doctors. Apostrophes with names ending in y grammar and punctuation. In this post, well look at another apostrophe construction. Note that the position of the apostrophe before or after the s depends on whether the word is a plural form ending in s. The apostrophe is used to show 1 possessives of nouns and some pronouns, 2 contractions, and 3 some plurals. Use an apostrophe after both names when two people possess two things separately. To show possession with a singular noun, add an apostrophe plus the letter s. For clarity, most writers use apostrophes with single capital letters and singledigit numbers.
English rules the blue book of grammar and punctuation. This lesson will take the mystery out of the apostrophe s and leave you. If the chemotherapy has no affecteffect, should she get surgery for the tumor. In the possessive case, a noun or pronoun changes its form to show that it. Many common nouns end in the letter s lens, cactus, bus, etc. Plural nouns ending in an s simply take an apostrophe at the end to form a possessive noun. The chicago manual of style and the associated press stylebook list the following holidays as singular possessives. 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. With possessive pronouns such as his, hers, and ours. Fishs habitats or fishes habitats would be correct because the. See rules 1b and 1c of apostrophes for more discussion. The blue book of grammar and punctuation, eleventh edition.
A third use, the pluralisation of words and letters in such expressions as mind your ps and qs, is controversial. The apostrophe would come after doctors if you were referring to more than one doctor. 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. Write the word as you would speak it, advises the blue book of grammar. Since the placement of an apostrophe can change the very meaning of a word, the apostrophe uses a specific set of rules that h. Since the placement of an apostrophe can change the very meaning of a word, the apostrophe uses a specific. Apostrophe meaning in the cambridge english dictionary.
In the past adding an s may have seemed very clumsy. As the post states, for clarity, most writers use apostrophes with single capital letters and singledigit numbers. Possession johns car, a friend of mine english grammar today. Use an apostrophe plus s to show the possessive form of a singular noun, even if that singular noun already ends in s. With very few exceptions, apostrophes do not make nouns plural. In cases of compound nouns composed of more than one word, place the apostrophe after the last noun. All the grammar, punctuation, and usage rules and examples on the website plus dozens of quizzes with answers. 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. Using an unnecessary apostrophe to form the plural of a noun is a very common mistake. I went to the editorinchief house for dinner last night.
The ultimate flowchart to using apostrophes infographic. But what if the name is sanchez or church or williams. Style books do not agree on how to show ownership with singular nouns ending in s. 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. It doesnt take a lifetime to master english grammar and punctuation. Sometimes, its called the grocers apostrophe because of how frequently it is spotted in grocery store advertisements 3 oranges for a dollar. 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. The apostrophe is needed here to show plural possessive. As a rule of thumb, adding the s to the apostrophe is a good idea.
Making an irregular plural noun possessive when it does not end in s is very simple. For each of the following, choose the correct sentence. Interactive grammar quizzes the blue book of grammar and. Most newspapers and magazines drop theoxford comma in a simple.
What is the proper apostrophe placement when using the letter. For instance, to show possession with singular nouns that dont end in s, all you have to do is add s girls, farms, loves. Clocks should have an apostrophe between the k and s. Ahmed is the skydiver that broke his back last week.
If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the faq by clicking the link above. There are three types of possessive forms in the english language. 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. After the program starts, you will arrive at the main menu. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. I went to the editorinchiefs house for dinner last night. 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. Grammar rules the blue book of grammar and punctuation.
Im sure this is a duplicate question, but heres something i wrote for a friend. While the bee buzzes among the blooms, a patient mantis waits to strike. This userfriendly resource includes simple explanations of grammar, punctuation, and usage. The plurals for capital letters and numbers above nine do not require apostrophes, but some use them anyway. For example, should doctors surgery have an apostrophe.
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