Italicize case names and use only the abbreviations in rule 10. Apostrophes are primarily used to show possession, though they have a number of other common uses, as well. Is it grammatically correct to put an apostrophe after an. To form the possessive of singular nouns, add s, as in homers job or the dogs breakfast. Abbreviations to create the possessive form for the abbreviation of a singular noun, add an apostrophe plus s. The blue book of grammar and punctuation succeeds at a rare feat.
Keep the blue book with youon campus, on your home desk, in your. But the use of apostrophes with initialisms like learn your abcs and mind your ps and qs is now so universal as to be acceptable in almost any context. Jan 21, 2016 apostrophes are by far the most misused and abused punctuation mark in the english language. Wc punctuating with apostrophes university of new england. The blue book of grammar and punctuation an easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples, and reproducible quizzes tenth edition jane straus 2.
Where commas, colons, quotation marks, and periods go before and. The blue book of grammar and punctuation an easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples, and reproducible quizzes tenth edition jane straus 3. The main uses of apostrophes are to show ownership e. Use apostrophes in contractions to show where a letter or letters have been left out. Apostrophes are often mistakenly omitted in common expressions such as at arms length and at wits end. For plural, proper nouns that are possessive, use an apostrophe after the s.
Now in its tenth edition, the blue book is a masterpiece of clarity and usefulness. The ruling, however, is that you can use s to show an awkward plural. Some readers of the times and after deadline insist that none must always take a singular verb. The plurals for capital letters and numbers above nine do not require apostrophes, but some.
Since this pattern violates the rule that apostrophes are not used before an s indicating a plural, many people object to it. May 16, 2016 but the use of apostrophes with initialisms like learn your abcs and mind your ps and qs is now so universal as to be acceptable in almost any context. Apply this rule when placed next to single letter abbreviations. Per apa style, the answer is that the possessive of a singular name is formed by. For more on executive orders, consult the latest edition of the bluebook.
The plurals for capital letters and numbers used as nouns are not formed with apostrophes. Aug 08, 20 apostrophes, plurals, and names heres the problem the victorias secret writers faced. This is a judgment call for the writer, but there are several style manuals available online e. Using apostrophe when abbreviating recommendations as. This form was inherited by the typographic apostrophe, also known as the typeset apostrophe, or, informally, the curly apostrophe. Bluebook citation for legal materials purdue writing lab. The blue book of grammar and punctuation an easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples, and reproducible quizzes jane straus tenth edition r 100,000. How about apostrophes to show possessive after abbreviations ending in s.
Its a refresher for experts, a reference for lay people, and a lesson plan for teachers. The use of the apostrophe to denote an abbreviation more accurately, to denote missing letters is known as an apologetic apostrophe. We appreciate the international information, but this website and the blue book of grammar and punctuation represent american english rules and guidelines. You cant use an apostrophe to make an acronym plural. Add s to singular nouns and plural nouns that do not end in s. Body is a brand name, which makes it a proper noun like any other name, but body is also a worda common nounthat everyone knows. When a noun is a compound word or phrase that ends in a plural noun, add only. Except when the bluebook abbreviation list explicitly provides for a plural version, the. Apostrophes to show the plural of abbreviations and awkward. The farlex grammar book english punctuation apostrophes apostrophes what is an apostrophe. The abbreviated form then gets treated like a word, so its plural is gents and its possessive is gents. Most possessive nouns end with an apostrophe and the letter s. Case name abbreviations table 6 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z.
The blue book of grammar and punctuation an easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples. You should separate abbreviations from each other with spaces if they are two letters or longer. To aid comprehension, lowercase letters form the plural with an apostrophe and an s compare two as in llama with two as in llama. If the abbreviated term is first used in a footnote that precedes the first. For this reason, edward ruppelt, the first chief of what became the u. If youre seeing this message, it means were having trouble loading external resources on our website. The article refers to the common noun drivers license as is listed in the merriamwebster dictionary, not the formal name for the document. With abbreviations at the end of a sentence ellipsis marks 53 with omitted words or sentences spacing. Coined plurals do not require an apostrophe before the s. Apostrophes to show the plurals of abbreviations or awkward plurals the quick answer if you have an awkward plural usually of a letter, a number, or an unusual abbreviation, you can use an apostrophe to assist your readers. The name stuck, although it didnt become the exclusive phrase that ruppelt had hoped it would. Whenever a word or phrase is shortened by contraction, remember to place an apostrophe at the point where the letters are omitted. Start studying the blue book of grammar and punctuation.
There are various approaches to plurals for abbreviations, single letters, and. For a detailed explanation of how to show the plural of names ending in s, ch, or z, please see apostrophes with names ending in s, ch, or z. Periods and apostrophes should be omitted from abbreviations in text and. To make a word that doesnt does not usually exist as a plural into a plural, an apostrophe is occasionally used. Clive didnt say adding just an apostrophe would make anything plural. For example, the abbreviation unis, the shortening of university to uni, but as plural form unis. The writer confuses the possessive berrys claims with a sentence about what berry claims. Later sansserif typefaces had stylised apostrophes with a more geometric or simplified form, but usually retaining the same directional bias as a closing quotation mark. Jun 03, 2014 we appreciate the international information, but this website and the blue book of grammar and punctuation represent american english rules and guidelines. It is recommended by eats, shoots and leaves that apologetic apostrophes be used only for novel abbreviations. Using apostrophes for plural possession year 4 resource pack includes a teaching powerpoint and differentiated varied fluency and application and reasoning resources. The subdivisions should then be listed, separated by commas, in order of. One unusual use of the apostrophe is in plural acronyms, like icbms ngos and cds. An apostrophe looks the same as a single end quotation mark, so care must.
To show possession with a singular noun, add an apostrophe plus the letter s. Mignon fogarty is the founder of quick and dirty tips and the author of seven books on language, including the new york times bestseller grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing. After looking around the web a bit for guidance on this, it appears that, to indicate the plural of an abbreviation or acronym, the style consensus is. Note that the position of the apostrophe before or after the s depends on whether the word is a plural form ending in s.
Apostrophes in plurals for uppercase abbreviations when writing titles, you are sometimes compelled to use just capital letters. Punctuating with apostrophes the apostrophe is an important piece of punctuation. When citing the constitution of a governmental entity, use the abbreviated title of the. In academic writing, words that use apostrophes for missing letters i. An indispensable tool for busy professionals, teachers, students, homeschool families, editors, writers, and proofreaders. Note that singular nouns ending in s still take an apostrophe and an additional s i. The apostrophe is seldom used to form a plural noun. But do not use apostrophes for plurals of abbreviations without periods, or for plurals formed from figures. 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. We use an apostrophe to create plural forms in two limited situations. Words in case names basic legal citation cornell university. Author of the original blue book of grammar and punctuation. Acronyms are abbreviations formed by the initial letters taken from a word or series of word that is itself pronounced as a word. The bluebook style guide is used in the american legal profession for citation of all.
Also use apostrophes for plurals formed from single letters. You should use an apostrophe only with the singular form of. Apostrophes are generally not used to form english plurals, but there are a few exceptions. If the abbreviation is a single letter or ends in a period, use an apostrophe to avoid conf. The apostrophe with numbers, letters, and abbreviations. Regular nouns are nouns that form their plurals by adding either the letter s or es guy, guys. 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. Plurals for letters, abbreviations, and numerals capital letters used as words, numerals used as nouns, and abbreviations usually form the plural by adding s. But do not use apostrophes for plurals of abbreviations without periods. Apostrophes are by far the most misused and abused punctuation mark in the english language. These cards cover the apostrophe rules for possessive nouns 36 cards and contractions 18 cards. Apostrophes are punctuation marks used to indicate possession.
Use of apostrophes in order to form the plural of certain nonwords is quite normal, accepted, and cited in style manuals. 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. So, if you have an awkward abbreviation, number, or letter and adding s makes for the bestlooking plural, then go for it. The bluebook is flexible on short forms of legislative.
Voiceover okay, because i was always taught never to use apostrophes to pluralize stuff. It can also sometimes be used to pluralize irregular nouns, such as single letters, abbreviations, and singledigit numbers. Dont hate the bluebook perfectit proofreading software for. May 17, 2016 apostrophes are often mistakenly omitted in common expressions such as at arms length and at wits end. Words that are both singular and plural, and end in s where words are both singular and plural and end in s, add an apostrophe only, after the s, to make the possessive. If youre behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains.
Our mission is to provide a free, worldclass education to anyone, anywhere. They help you write abbreviations and single letters in plural form like mind your ps and qs. Since the 1980 s, the thomas s, both of whom have multiple phd s, have sold old book s and magazine s at the fair on saturday s and. This pack is designed to work alongside our gps scheme of work for spring block 1. If im using an abbreviation in a plural form, would i use an apostrophe. Examples of possessive apostrophes im going to try on one of my big brothers hats. Sep 16, 2015 after looking around the web a bit for guidance on this, it appears that, to indicate the plural of an abbreviation or acronym, the style consensus is. Mar 17, 2012 if im using an abbreviation in a plural form, would i use an apostrophe. A guide to using apostrophes correctly how to use and not use this tricky punctuation mark. We have not seen specific guidance on this in any reference books. Voiceover the third use does not happen very often, but apostrophes can occasionally be used to make words plural. Since the 1980s, the thomases, both of whom have multiple phds, have sold old books and magazines at the fair on saturdays and sundays. In the cases where you wouldnt use an apostrophe in the singular, dont use it for the plural. To show plural possession, simply put an apostrophe after the s.
Correct you had a wonderful time on frances mediterranean coast, didnt you. Apostrophes in plurals for uppercase abbreviations when writing titles, you. A plural noun names more than one person, place, or thing. Incorrect theirs does not take an apostrophe people think of me as a neerdowell ever since that accident in 73. The blue book of grammar and punctuation by jane straus the authority on english grammar. Need help submitting your writing to literary journals or book publishersliterary agents. Use an apostrophe in legal writing to form the plural of a letter, figure or symbol. Use apostrophes for plurals of abbreviations that have capital letters and periods. The blue book of grammar and punctuation flashcards quizlet.
Basic rules plurals, articles, and quantity words count, noncount nouns. An apostrophe is a punctuation mark that primarily serves to indicate either grammatical possession or the contraction of two words. Apostrophe simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Using apostrophes for plural possession year 4 apostrophes. Here we also should italicize this word as word, but not the s ending that belongs to it. The placement of an apostrophe depends upon the word you are making possessive. Apostrophes the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Although missing letters are indicated by an apostrophe in words like cant, abbreviations dont generally use apostrophes. Follow the recommendations of the publication manual mla or apa concerning apostrophes used to. Apostrophes punctuation rules the blue book of grammar.
Apostrophes with other plural abbreviations are generally omitted. You do not use an apostrophe when you write a plural noun. Learning grammar with shmoop is less painful than a root canal. I understand apostrophes are used to indicated a missing letter, but not used in words as a plural. Using apostrophe when abbreviating recommendations as recos. Further, do not use apostrophes for plural letters or words used for purposes other than. The apostrophe is needed here to show plural possessive.
Incorrect apostrophes are no longer used for plurals after vowels i ate so many pizzas in italy in the late 1990s. Below is a selection of examples of the apostrophe. Abbreviations should end in a period unless the abbreviation ends with an apostrophe and the last letter of the word. This is just a version of the abbreviation function. It is a composite of those contained in the bluebook and the alwd guide to. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Plural and possessive forms with names ending in y or i. Apostrophes apostrophes clip and flip cards contains 54 selfcorrecting cards to help students practice identifying where and how to use apostrophes. An apostrophe is not needed to form the plural of abbreviations ex cds sats phds some grammar guides state that an apostrophe is no longer required to form the plurals of letters. How to use apostrophes with nouns, pronouns, abbreviations, last names, first names, contractions, and more. Apostrophes to show the plural of abbreviations and. Apostrophes are also used when other words are shortened, as in slang.
Make a singular noun possessive by adding an apostrophe and an s. It ran for fifteen years from january 10, 1975 to june 22, 1990, and was one of the most watched shows on french television. Apostrophes apostrophes was a live, weekly, literary, primetime, talk show on french television created and hosted by bernard pivot. Apostrophes in orthography means the text character that serves as a punctuation mark in various languages and as a diacritical mark in rare contexts. Do you use an apostrophe in plural acronyms and initialisms. Note that acronym was used originally only to label pronounceable abbreviations like nato, but is now generally applied to all sorts of initialisms. To form the possessive of a plural abbreviation, add an s.
She is an inductee in the podcasting hall of fame, and the show is a fivetime winner of best education podcast in the podcast awards. Apostrophes punctuation academic guides at walden university. Except when the abbreviation list explicitly provides for the plural, the plural of a. Each goldbook rule number corresponds to the matching bluebook. Charlie is jennys cat means the cat named charlie belongs to jenny and to show missing letters in words e. To the maroon books authors, the bluebook commits the most heinous of sins. So in this case, skus would be correct and skus would be wrong. Should none be used with a singular or a plural verb. Follow the recommendations of the publication manual mla or apa concerning apostrophes used to form plurals of letters. Apr, 2010 but do not use apostrophes for plurals of abbreviations without periods, or for plurals formed from figures. The apostrophe is an important piece of punctuation.
977 707 1174 1188 394 1631 735 1577 1443 201 496 957 896 258 427 923 122 1247 1490 1075 1403 650 1134 666 876 1174 689 612 372 1194 635 560 29 728 416 7 881 1004