For those of you who list mastery of apostrophe usage with the rest of your New Year’s resolutions, here is a short primer:
1. Use an apostrophe to indicate possession.
2. Place the apostrophe before the “s” when referring to a singular entity. For example, “the dog’s food bowl is in the kitchen.” Or, “Karen’s house is on the right.”
3. Place the apostrophe after the “s” when referring to a plural entity. For example, “the rabbits’ nest is in the grass.” Or, “the Smiths’ boat is huge.”
4. “It’s” indicates a contraction of the words “it” and “is.” “Its” indicates possession. For example, “it’s in the works.” (Meaning, it is in the works.) Or, “it’s time for a nap.” (Meaning, it is time for a nap.) If you can replace “it is” in the sentence, “it’s” is a correct contraction. But, “the beaver worked hard on building its dam across the pond.” (Meaning, the beaver’s dam.)
5. A debate exists about whether to add an additional “s” when using an apostrophe with a word that ends in “s.” Either option is generally acceptable these days, although some people have strong feelings on the matter. For example, “Bess’ cake is in the oven.” Or, “Bess’s cake is in the oven.”
Has anyone seen any humorous or outrageous apostrophe usage lately?
It seems some in Britain have given up on trying to use the apostrophe properly:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/4413752/When-theyre-gone-well-all-be-struggling-with-English.html
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apostrophe
This link is pretty funny, received via Twitter a few days ago. Great examples.
One of the worst examples of apostrophe usage is on a house that I frequently walk past. There is a metal name plate on the house, which reads “The Hill’s” (the name of course is changed to spare the innocent). I’m half tempted to knock on the door and inform them that it should read “The Hills.'”
Come on people, at least avoid grammar errors for your own name.
Anthony, it depends on what the nameplate is naming. If it’s naming the house (and not the family), “The Hill’s” would be accurate.
It’s outrageous anytime the apostrophe is incorrectly used to indicate a plural – especially on billboards! A billboard between Oshkosh and Appleton has been up for years – something like “Harley’s rented here.”
Not at all unusual. Grrr.
Good stuff. Thank’s for posting it!
I was once stuck in traffic on the highway behind a dump truck that had “Only God Know’s” painted across the back.