Why do plural abbreviations have an apostrophe?
The advantage of using an apostrophe is that the abbreviation, letter, or number is instantly recognizable. However, when an apostrophe is used to show a plural, it could lead to ambiguity because apostrophes are mostly used to show possession (e.g., the dog's bone) or in contractions (e.g., the dog's eaten the bone). Look at these examples:
Should an apostrophe be used to make a name plural?
When making your last name plural, you don’t need to add an apostrophe! The apostrophe makes the name possessive. If your name does NOT end in -s, -z, -ch, -sh, or -x, you add -s to make it plural. For example: Merry Christmas from the Smiths!Nov 22, 2019. How do you write the plural of a family last name?
How to properly use apostrophe?
Use Apostrophe Proper
- Common Uses for Apostrophes. Apostrophes are almost always used to contract two words or to show possession. ...
- Common Errors with Apostrophes. I see a lot of odd uses for apostrophes, specifically when an s follows the apostrophe. ...
- Weird Acceptations to the Rules. ...
- Conclusion. ...
What are the reasons for using an apostrophe?
- When the day is used as a possessive. ‘Monday’s child is fair of face; Tuesday’s child is full of grace.’
- When the day is followed by is, and we use a contraction. Sunday’s the first day of the week. [Sunday is the first day of the week.]
- When we are texting or taking notes, we might want to abbreviate. W’day for Wednesday, for instance.
What is a plural possessive example?
Plural possessive nouns: Plural possessive nouns add an apostrophe and the suffix “s” to a word to indicate possession. Examples of plural possessive nouns include “the Smiths' house” and “horses' hooves.”
What is apostrophe example?
When using a singular noun, the apostrophe is used before the s. For example: “The squirrel's nuts were stashed in a hollow tree.” When using a plural noun, the apostrophe goes after the s. For example: “The squirrels' nuts were hidden in several hollow trees throughout the forest.”
Where does the apostrophe go in plural possessive?
PossessivesIn singular possessive terms, place the apostrophe before the "s." This will indicate ownership by one person or thing. ... In plural possessive terms, place the apostrophe after the "s." This will indicate to the reader that more than one person or thing owns the thing possessed.More items...
What is a singular apostrophe?
For single nouns, add an apostrophe and an 's'. For plural nouns, just add an apostrophe after the 's'. If it's a personal possessive pronoun, it doesn't need an apostrophe at all.
What are the 2 types of apostrophes?
There are two different kinds of apostrophes: smart and straight.
What are the 3 rules for apostrophes?
The apostrophe has three uses: 1) to form possessive nouns; 2) to show the omission of letters; and 3) to indicate plurals of letters, numbers, and symbols. Do not use apostrophes to form possessive pronouns (i.e. his/her computer) or noun plurals that are not possessives.
Which is correct Chris's or Chris?
Which is correct, Chris's chair or Chris' chair? James's car or James' car? Actually, both ways are correct. If a proper name ends with an s, you can add just the apostrophe or an apostrophe and an s.
Is it Thomas's or Thomas?
Both Thomas's or Thomas' are correct. There are several different style guides for writing the English language. When you follow the rules of The Associated Press Stylebook, Thomas' is correct. With all other style guides, Thomas's is correct.
Do you put apostrophe S after S?
Apostrophes are used to form the possessive form of a singular noun or a plural noun not ending in s by adding ' and an s at the end. If a plural noun ends in s, only ' should be added.
Do you use an apostrophe for plural family name?
Don't use an apostrophe to make your last name plural. Apostrophes can be used to show possession—à la the Smithsʼ house or Tim Johnsonʼs pad— but they don't indicate there's more than one person in your family.
Is it brothers or brother's?
Brothers is the plural for brother. Brother's is the singular possessive form of brother. Brothers' is the plural possessive form of Brothers. Brothers or Brother's or Brothers' are all pronounced the same way.
How do you find an apostrophe?
The rules for using an apostrophe to show possession are:With singular nouns not ending in s, add an apostrophe and s.With singular nouns ending in s, add an apostrophe and s.With plural nouns ending in s, add an apostrophe after the s.With plural nouns not ending in s, add an apostrophe and s.
How can I use apostrophe in a sentence?
An apostrophe is a punctuation mark used to create a contraction or to show possession.Use an apostrophe when two words are shortened into one. ... Use an apostrophe when showing possession. ... Do not create a double or triple “s” when adding an apostrophe. ... Do not use an apostrophe with pronouns to show possession.More items...
Which line is an example of apostrophe?
In a famous scene from the play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet delivers a soliloquy on her balcony, which begins with the following line: "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" Juliet believes she is alone and addresses Romeo, thinking that he is absent. Therefore, this is considered to be an example of an apostrophe.
What are 5 examples of metonymy?
Here are some examples of metonymy:Crown. (For the power of a king.)The White House. (Referring to the American administration.)Dish. (To refer an entire plate of food.)The Pentagon. (For the Department of Defense and the offices of the U.S. Armed Forces.)Pen. ... Sword - (For military force.)Hollywood. ... Hand.
How do you find an apostrophe?
The rules for using an apostrophe to show possession are:With singular nouns not ending in s, add an apostrophe and s.With singular nouns ending in s, add an apostrophe and s.With plural nouns ending in s, add an apostrophe after the s.With plural nouns not ending in s, add an apostrophe and s.
Apostrophe Use: Contractions and Omissions
A contraction is a shortened form of a word (or group of words) that omits certain letters or sounds. In a contraction, an apostrophe represents mi...
Apostrophes and Possessive Nouns
The rules about forming possessives probably cause the most apostrophe confusion. They vary a little bit, depending on what type of noun you are ma...
Apostrophes With Surrounding Punctuation
An apostrophe is part of the word it belongs to, so it should not be separated from the word by periods, commas, question marks, or any other punct...
When to Check A Style Guide
Sooner or later, you’ll come across a phrase that sounds fine out loud but looks weird on paper because of the apostrophes. Do’s and don’ts? Dos an...
When to use an apostrophe?
Use an apostrophe to indicate that the number denoting the century has been omitted. Example. poetry of the ’80s and ’90s. When the century is omitted from the decade, an apostrophe indicates the omission. Inserting another apostrophe before the s is then inelegant.
Why do we use apostrophes in capital letters?
An apostrophe can help make plurals of capital letters more readable. Using it is optional: the AP Stylebook recommends using the apostrophe; the Chicago Manual of Style suggests omitting it.
How to make a plural in quotation marks?
To form the plural of a word or a phrase in quotation marks, place an s within the quotation marks. Adding it outside can make the text harder to read. An apostrophe before the s, though not incorrect, is generally unnecessary and therefore omitted.
How to make a name plural with a name ending in y?
To form the plural of a name ending in y, simply add an s.
How to make a word plural?
To form the plural of a word or a phrase not generally used as a noun, add an s without an apostrophe.
Dos and don'ts?
Dos and don’ts (without apostrophes for the plurals) is recommended by the Chicago Manual of Style, the Oxford English Dictionary, and the Guardian style guide. The AP Stylebook suggests do’s and don’ts (with an apostrophe for the plural only in do’s ). Either style is acceptable.
Do you put apostrophes in plurals?
In plurals of abbreviations that contain internal periods, apostrophes can help eliminate confusion. Example. We were asked not to use abbreviations, but I see two “ e.g.’s ” in this paper. In some writing styles, periods are inserted between the capital letters of an abbreviation.
Why is it called the grocer's apostrophe?
Sometimes, it’s called the grocer’s apostrophe because of how frequently it is spotted in grocery store advertisements ( 3 orange’s for a dollar! ). Don’t do it! With very few exceptions, apostrophes do not make nouns plural.
Is an apostrophe a punctuation mark?
Apostrophes with Surrounding Punctuation. An apostrophe is part of the word it belongs to, so it should not be separate d from the word by periods, commas, question marks, or any other punctuation mark.
Is "grocer" an apostrophe?
Apostrophes and Plurals. Using an unnecessary apostrophe to form the plural of a noun is a very common mistake. Sometimes, it’s called the grocer’s apostrophe because of how frequently it is spotted in grocery store advertisements ( 3 orange’s for a dollar! ). Don’t do it!
Do you add an apostrophe to a possessive?
The rules about forming possessives probably cause the most apostrophe confusion. They vary a little bit, depending on what type of noun you are making into a possessive. Here are the rules of thumb: For most singular nouns, add apostrophe+s: For most plural nouns, add only an apostrophe :
Can you use possessive pronouns in joint constructions?
Using possessive personal pronouns in joint constructions often sounds awkward ( You have their and my gratitude ). Usually, the best solution is to rephrase the sentence to avoid the joint construction ( You have our gratitude or You have their gratitude and mine ).
Do you add an apostrophe to a singular noun?
Style guides vary in their recommendations of what to do when you have a singular proper noun that ends in s. Some recommend adding only an apostrophe :
Do apostrophes make nouns plural?
With very few exceptions, apostrophes do not make nouns plural. The one notable exception to this rule is the plural form of lowercase letters, which are formed with an apostrophe to prevent misreading: Don’t forget to dot all your is. Don’t forget to dot all your i’s.
What is an apostrophe in a noun?
noun (2) Definition of apostrophe (Entry 2 of 2) : the addressing of a usually absent person or a usually personified thing rhetorically Carlyle's "O Liberty, what things are done in thy name!". is an example of apostrophe.
What does an apostrophe mean in a sentence?
: a mark ' used to indicate the omission of letters or figures, the possessive case (as in "John's book"), or the plural of letters or figures (as in "the 1960's") In the contraction "can't," the apostrophe replaces two of the letters in the word "cannot.".
Where does the word "apostrophe" come from?
History and Etymology for apostrophe. borrowed from French & Late Latin; French, borrowed from Late Latin apostrophus, apostrophos "mark placed above a consonant to indicate that a following vowel has been deleted," borrowed from Greek apóstrophos (feminine noun, presumably shortened from the collocation apóstrophos prosōidía, ...
What is the Possessive Apostrophe?
Instead of saying “the book of somebody,” you can simply say “somebody’s book.” This grammatical feature is called the possessive apostrophe. It facilitates the ability to speak about somebody’s or something’s belongings or characteristics.
When to Put Just an Apostrophe
Whenever you want to talk about the possessive form of plural nouns that end with a sibilant, you also need to have an apostrophe to indicate the relationship. However, don’t add a second “s” after the apostrophe:
Exceptions to the Possessive Apostrophe
There are singular nouns that can’t be combined with an additional “’s” as you wouldn’t pronounce the last syllable. Mostly, this is the case with ancient or traditional names of authors or philosophers:
The Possessive Apostrophe for Singular and Plural Nouns
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What does it mean when you add an apostrophe to a word?
If you’re showing ownership, then you’ll usually add apostrophe -s to the word. You have a dog. Your dog has a collar. That is the dog’s collar. If something (collar) belongs to something else (dog), it is given the apostrophe -s to show possession.
What are some examples of apostrophes?
Grammar and Exceptions. Like most grammar rules, there are exceptions to the rules that dictate how we use apostrophes, and they are many. For example, when there is more than one goose, you don’t say “gooses,” you say “geese.”. The English language is fraught with such exceptions, and plural forms of many words require more than adding an “s” ...
When you show possession with the word "it" do you lose the apostrophe?
When you’re showing possession with the word it, you simply reverse the rules and lose the apostrophe. The car has wheels. Its wheels are round. See? No apostrophe when something belongs to it.
Is "possession" plural or singular?
The word it is treated a bit differently. In fact, there is no plural possession at all because it is inherently singular (the plural form is another word altogether: they ). That’s a relief.
Is "it's" possessive or plural?
It’s is neither possessive nor plural. When the apostrophe -s is added to it, what you’re seeing is a contraction, or a shortening of two words. The phrase it is is being shortened. If you have a hard time remembering this, try saying your sentence or phrase by replacing “its” or “it’s” with “it is.”.
Do you have to add an s to plural?
The English language is fraught with such exceptions, and plural forms of many words require more than adding an “s” to the end. Learning all the exceptions takes patience and time, and requires that you constantly pay attention to words with special rules. Always keep an eye out for them.
Do you put an apostrophe on a word?
Remembering the rules is easy. All you have to do is remember that if there’s ownership or possession, then the word should take apostrophe -s. If there are many (the word is plural), then just an “s” will do. If a word is both plural and possessed, it gets an s followed by an apostrophe. And for the word “it,” the rules are reversed.
What is the apostrophe for "s"?
One method, common in newspapers and magazines, is to add an apostrophe + s (’ s) to common nouns ending in s, but only a stand-alone apostrophe to proper nouns ending in s.
Why do some words have an apostrophe?
In special cases, such as when forming a plural of a word that is not normally a noun, some writers add an apostrophe for clarity.
How to show plural possession?
To show plural possession, simply put an apostrophe after the s.
How do irregular nouns become plural?
English also has many irregular nouns ( child, nucleus, tooth, etc.). These nouns become plural by changing their spelling, sometimes becoming quite different words. You may find it helpful to write out the entire irregular plural noun before adding an apostrophe or an apostrophe + s.
Why do we put an apostrophe in a sentence?
In that sentence, the verb do is used as a plural noun, and the apostrophe was added because the writer felt that dos was confusing.
How to use apostrophes in a compound noun?
If the compound noun ( e.g., brother-in-law) is to be made plural, form the plural first ( brothers-in-law ), and then use the apostrophe + s. Example: my two brothers-in-law's hats. Rule 4a. If two people possess the same item, put the apostrophe + s after the second name only.
What is the plural of Hastings?
The plural of Hastings is Hastingses. The members of the Birch family are the Birches.
What is an apostrophe?
An apostrophe is a punctuation mark that is most often used to form possessive nouns, to represent omitted letters, and to form some plurals. An apostrophe resembles a slanted mark or a dot with a tail ( ’ ). Typically, it is identical in appearance to the comma but is placed at the top of a line of text or writing rather than the bottom. This curved apostrophe is known as the typesetter’s apostrophe. Apostrophes can be displayed in a few ways, however. A typewriter’s apostrophe looks like a straight mark ( ＇ ).
What does an apostrophe mean in a year?
Apostrophes can also be used to indicate that the first two digits of a year have been omitted. You’ve probably seen this in cases like “the class of ’ 93,” “the ’ 08 election” and “the Roaring ’ 20s.”.
When do you add an apostrophe and an S?
When a singular noun doesn’t end in S, you just need to add an apostrophe and an S to make it possessive. Examples include “the boy ’ s bike,” “the dog ’ s leash,” and “Bob ’ s house.”
What do you do when a singular noun ends in S?
If a singular noun does end in S, you should add an apostrophe and an S to make the word possessive. Examples include “the class ’ s field trip,” “the actress ’ s award,” and “Ross ’ s daughter.”
The Apostrophe
in Regular Plurals
in Plurals of Words That Are Not Nouns
in Plurals of Abbreviations
in Plurals of Letters of The Alphabet
in Plurals of Numbers
- When numbers are written in words, their plurals are formed like regular English plurals, by adding s or es. In forming the plurals of numerals, apostrophes are again generally considered superfluous. Some writers prefer to use an apostrophe: 2’s and 3’s. Both styles—with and without the apostrophe—are acceptable.
in Decades and Centuries
in Plurals of Names and Surnames
in Plural Place Names
in Plurals of italicized Terms