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	This is the Conversation Forum for Correct Use of the Apostrophe In English

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<< Apostrophe advice please
Things left out >>

Errors, Info, Duplication, etc

Post: 1

Posted Jul 21, 2002 by Lucinda (et al) - Dun Researchin'
From the top.

> "but there is a prescribed way of using [the apostrophe]"

Factually wrong. Lots of different authorities prescribe different ways of using it, and there isn't *A* single way.

> "Strictly, because plane is a contraction of aeroplane, it should be written 'plane. Because no one does this any more, and because plane has become a word in its own right, most linguists agree that *it* should no longer be counted as correct"

The starred 'it' presumably refers to 'plane with an apostrophe?

I think it's wrong to say on the one hand that plane *should* be written with an apostrophe, and on the other that plane with an apostrophe *should* no longer be counted as correct. That's self-contradictory. A better paradigm would be to describe it over time, thus:

Plane is a contraction of areoplane, and was originally written with an apostrophe: 'plane. Nowadays, it is much more common to write the word without an apostrophe, to the extent that using an apostrophe may be considered 'incorrect'.

> "Thus, while this article dwells on 'rules', it should be remembered that they are not set in stone for all time. By and large, however, the situation is obvious."

Add 'or all places' after 'all time'. For example, the 'rules' on quotation marks are different on h2g2 to either of Heavy's examples.

> "But with the aid of this handy guide, grammatical foibles will be eradicated for ever. How handy."

No they won't. If even 'master grammarians' get it wrong, I doubt a two-page entry is going to make someone a perfect writer.

> "There are two legal otpions in this case. Elegance would seem to preclude the latter."

Incorrect use of 'legal', unless it's a sueing offence. "There are two equally popular options in this case". Elegance? 'Jesus's' is what people actually say in speech, so it has a certain logic. As LeKZ observed, the former is more common in the UK, that latter more common in the USA.
Oh, and typo.

> "No, because when the possession pertains to a plural noun, like men, for example, everything changes"

Nope, it's nothing to do with 'men' being a plural noun, and everything to do with it not ending in an -s or a sibilant (ie, hissing sound).

> "Impersonal possession"

Nothing to do with being impersonal, and everything to do with it being pronouns. Almost all pronouns don't take an apostrophe. The exception is "one's", which is a comparatively new word. (It used to be the case that "one combs his hair": IE, 'one' turns to 'his' in the possessive case.

> "it's: it is"

Or 'it has'.

> "Quotations"

If he says so. But shouldn't there be a section on 'On h2g2' to say what the writing guidelines on this site are?

> "Pencil's: That means belonging to the pencil, not more than one pencil."

This one, as the simplest example, ought to go first.

> "The 70's: The 70's are in fact the '70s. And don't you forget it!"

Or the "70s", as the leading apostrophe can be dropped in the same way as the leading apostrophe in 'plane. I still think "70's" should be valid, but I can't find any documentary evidence for that, so I'll drop it.

> "1000's: If by some gruesome mischance you feel you need to butcher the beauty of our language by telling us you have lots of things on offer in, say, your poundsaver store, please have the decency to write 1000s."

Suggest append "It *is* permissable, though uncommon, to write sentences like "The number of the beast is three 6's".

> "CD's: The plural of CD is, by convention, CDs. Strictly, CD's may be used too, though this is not at all recomended. This applies to all other abbreviations like HGVs or A to Zs. Capisce?"

I think it'd be better to introduce the two alternatives equally, and then explain *why* one is not recommended. IE:

The plural of CD is either CDs or CD's, with CDs being slightly more common. Using an apostrophe can cause confusion with the possesive. For example "CD's track" might refer to one song on a single CD, or it might refer to a pack of multiple CDs that stalk their prey through the jungles of Taiwan.

> "In a formal essay or letter, using a word like don't is very poor style indeed"

At the best, that's overstating the case. At the worst it's just plain wrong. Contractions are perfectly valid in formal writing, provided they are used in a clear manner.

Missing Info next post...

-Martin