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I don't think it's taught.
The apostrophe is always problematic for kids. It's a visual device only that isn't reproduced in spoken speech, and it use is full of tricky irregularities.
So a lot of kids try to play it safe when learning how to write and use the apostrophe all the time. It becomes habitual.
Even if a person knows how to use it, the use is still often tricky.
Consider:
Boy's Club
Boys Club
Boys' Club
Each has a slightly different meaning, but the differences are so subtle it requires some conscious thought to detect them. In this instance, all 3 could serve for most people equally. The trailing apostrophe, coming after the letter S, is by far the trickiest. That's why it's so seldom seen nowadays.
Adding in our odd ways of spelling really complicates it as well. Really, why is "potatoes" correct and "potatos" not?
if more than one potato was peeled, doesn't "potatoes' peels" look strange? It does, to lots of people. That's why we tend to say "potato peels'. It removes the possessive and turns one word from single to multiple for both words.
Common sense says if you peel one spud, you are probably going to peel them all. if you are going to use one potato's peelings, you're likely to use them all.
I don't know, and Apostrophe Abuse has been discussed on other threads on here.
It is something that bugs me, too. This is taught way back in second or third grade, yet over the past five years or so there has been an explosion of misuse of apostrophes, particularly in their use in plurals. Although some people might honestly struggle with the use of the apostrophe, I attribute most of it to sheer laziness and the overall decline of reading.
I carry a Sharpie for when I encounter the opportunity to make a correction.
It is a pretty basic rule. Not sure where the confusion comes in.
In some cases, though, I do think an apostrophe is needed. Like if I want to make plural a word like "Pepsi," I'll write "Pepsi's" just for clarification. Otherwise, "Pepsis" seems confusing, reminding me of "sepsis."
I believe that's an accepted "rule." Too lazy to look it up.
I don't know, and Apostrophe Abuse has been discussed on other threads on here.
It is something that bugs me, too. This is taught way back in second or third grade, yet over the past five years or so there has been an explosion of misuse of apostrophes, particularly in their use in plurals. Although some people might honestly struggle with the use of the apostrophe, I attribute most of it to sheer laziness and the overall decline of reading.
I carry a Sharpie for when I encounter the opportunity to make a correction.
I've noticed it's not only "kids" that do it, but people my age who certainly should know better. Sometimes it might be acceptable, as in the case of plural acronyms, but even then just use a lower-case s following the upper cases (or is it case's ...) of the acronym. There's a handbook of grammar somewhere in my collection of books but I can't remember the title or where it might be.
It is a pretty basic rule. Not sure where the confusion comes in.
In some cases, though, I do think an apostrophe is needed. Like if I want to make plural a word like "Pepsi," I'll write "Pepsi's" just for clarification. Otherwise, "Pepsis" seems confusing, reminding me of "sepsis."
I believe that's an accepted "rule." Too lazy to look it up.
I'm not sure what the rule is in such situations, but at least it avoids confusion. There might be a better way though ... not sure.
They don't like it when we correct them but we don't like it when they do it. Why should we struggle with trying to understand what they are trying to say? If they're the ones who are wrong, then they're the ones who shouldn't mind being corrected. I think we're not supposed to correct people on the forum though. However, when we're off the forum, out comes the sharpie!
Life is full of "no's". I feel empathy for people who struggle accepting it and moving on.
Gotta admit I'd find another way to handle it; I'd rephrase.
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