Monday, June 26, 2006
The Dreaded Apostrophe
Okay. I just have to start today with a rant.
If you're going to correct someone, be sure, first, that you are correct.
I've been out of town for two weeks, and happened to be at a wonderful Portuguese bakery in Provincetown, Massachusetts, for breakfast one recent morning. A sign near the tables noted something to the effect that diners were asked to put the tray back in its place. Some cleverer-than-thou person had added an apostrophe between the "it" and the "s."
No, no, a thousand times no!
I would venture to say that the weapon of choice for those whose intent is to mangle the English language is, was, and shall probably always be the apostrophe.
Let's all take a quick refresher class on its use. Please also follow the link I have provided to the Apostrophe Protection Society: bookmark that link and go back and reference it any time you have any doubt as to whether or not an apostrophe is called for.
Contractions take apostrophes:
All of these sentences involve contractions: A contraction is a device showing us that some letters have been omitted, and is used in speaking and in informal writing. It is becomes it's; I am becomes I'm; she is becomes she's; cannot becomes can't.
Noun possessives take apostrophes:
Pronoun possessives DO NOT take apostrophes:
Dates do not take apostrophes (The exception appears to be the unfortunate style guide employed by the New York Times):
Master these few rules and you will not make the common mistakes we all see out "in the wild," to wit:
By now, you should be able to tell why the three examples above are incorrect. Do that, and you'll be... beyond the elements of style!
If you're going to correct someone, be sure, first, that you are correct.
I've been out of town for two weeks, and happened to be at a wonderful Portuguese bakery in Provincetown, Massachusetts, for breakfast one recent morning. A sign near the tables noted something to the effect that diners were asked to put the tray back in its place. Some cleverer-than-thou person had added an apostrophe between the "it" and the "s."
No, no, a thousand times no!
I would venture to say that the weapon of choice for those whose intent is to mangle the English language is, was, and shall probably always be the apostrophe.
Let's all take a quick refresher class on its use. Please also follow the link I have provided to the Apostrophe Protection Society: bookmark that link and go back and reference it any time you have any doubt as to whether or not an apostrophe is called for.
Contractions take apostrophes:
- It's going to rain today!
- I'm reading that book now.
- She's happy to be leaving at four.
- He can't finish the assignment.
All of these sentences involve contractions: A contraction is a device showing us that some letters have been omitted, and is used in speaking and in informal writing. It is becomes it's; I am becomes I'm; she is becomes she's; cannot becomes can't.
Noun possessives take apostrophes:
- Mary's car is in the repair shop.
- My mother-in-law's letter was short.
- We went to Clara and Tom's show. (Note that only the second name takes the apostrophe and the s.)
- James's music is still in the hall. (Note that even though James ends in an s, we still add an apostrophe and an additional s. James is still a singular, and the singular follows this rule.)
- It took five hours' walking to get there! (Note that a plural places the apostrophe AFTER the s.)
Pronoun possessives DO NOT take apostrophes:
- The book should be in its place.
- That raincoat is his.
- Those are ours!
Dates do not take apostrophes (The exception appears to be the unfortunate style guide employed by the New York Times):
- I haven't seen him since the 1990s.
- He was born in the 80s.
Master these few rules and you will not make the common mistakes we all see out "in the wild," to wit:
- Banana's are .49 a pound!
- Put it back in it's place!
- That book is her's!
By now, you should be able to tell why the three examples above are incorrect. Do that, and you'll be... beyond the elements of style!
THIS JUST IN: Amazingly enough, even people who should know better make errors. Check out the jacket copy on a recent Philip Roth novel here: http://tinyurl.com/j5t4g
Jeannette Cézanne
Customline.com
