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I'm lucky in that if I type 'it', my phone presents me with 3 options...it, it's, its.
Commas require the extra step.
Same here. To add an apostrophe takes extra time and effort. I was wondering if it's like that for everyone.
Why would so many people go the extra mile to add an apostrophe? Why would so many people even think they need an apostrophe to form a plural? Is this an example of hyper correction, like "between you and I"?
haha, I once had a job working at a big distribution center with one area devoted to a bunch of recycling bins. Every bin had a sign above it with the notorious apostrophe--e.g. "strap's," "string's," "slip sheet's," etc. This was a Fortune 100 company. There was also a hand-written sign on a piece of cardboard advising of proper recycling procedures that was chock full of spelling and grammar errors.
haha, I once had a job working at a big distribution center with one area devoted to a bunch of recycling bins. Every bin had a sign above it with the notorious apostrophe--e.g. "strap's," "string's," "slip sheet's," etc. This was a Fortune 100 company. There was also a hand-written sign on a piece of cardboard advising of proper recycling procedures that was chock full of spelling and grammar errors.
I worked in corporate at a Fortune 500 place. Emails and documentation routinely sported poor grammar, even from directors. But it didn't matter. I mean, it might ding an individual's rep or potential. And again... judging that there were people who made director despite grammatical challenges, that doesn't seem likely. Meaning, however, was always obvious.
So why do apostrophes challenge people? Well, for reasons I've mentioned. There are rules, and exceptions, and exceptions to the exceptions. The rules are in flux, and have been for centuries. But the biggest factor? I think it's just that apostrophes simply aren't necessary. Meaning is invariably obvious from context. And don't get me started on contractions - I mean, do we really need a ' to let us know that there used to be a second o in doesn't that we no longer pronounce? Anyway, when something really isn't necessary for effective communication, why bother with it? I mean, I know the rules. And I use apostrophes, even in my texts. But I do it solely for myself, and not because I think the language will fall apart if I don't, or because I care what someone else thinks.
I'm lucky in that if I type 'it', my phone presents me with 3 options...it, it's, its.
Commas require the extra step.
I use a tablet. The keyboard offers just letters, comma, and period. I have to summon a secondary screen for numbers and common punctuation.
For some reason, the percent sign is buried even deeper, and it always takes me a while to find it. (Hah, found it! Hold down the letter C and select from three options: # % ç)
As a result, I often spell out numbers like ten, but go to the second screen for 27 or 34,026. And, fortunately, the auto complete offers good options.
"New business's opening." Where is the possessive in this?
Should be "New businesses opening" if you're wanting plural and not possessive.
Or are you wanting possessive? Normally that would be spelled "New business' opening."
Or are you wanting both plural and possessive? Whatcha do in those cases it tell the business owners that all but one of them needs to open on a different day, cuz "New businesses' opening" wasn't covered in college.
If they don't agree with that, you can write sentences/phrases/headlines that mean the same thing but are worded differently. "72 new businesses to open." That's what I've always done, since I ran out of college funds before graduating.
Should be "New businesses opening" if you're wanting plural and not possessive.
Or are you wanting possessive? Normally that would be spelled "New business' opening."
Or are you wanting both plural and possessive? Whatcha do in those cases it tell the business owners that all but one of them needs to open on a different day, cuz "New businesses' opening" wasn't covered in college.
If they don't agree with that, you can write sentences/phrases/headlines that mean the same thing but are worded differently. "72 new businesses to open." That's what I've always done, since I ran out of college funds before graduating.
"There's no definitive right or wrong answer. It's a matter of style. AP style for singular common nouns ending in the letter s — like business — is to add 's unless the next word starts with an s. So you'd say 'business's address' but 'business' stock' … and as always the first commandment holds: In case of ambiguity, rewrite.
The University of Chicago Press, on the other hand, says to use 's for the possessives of singular common nouns in all instances, no exceptions.
So basically, follow the style under which you're writing … or make up your own and be consistent with it."
Thread title: "Obama's buy a $15,000,000 estate in Martha’s Vineyard"
If the OP meant just one Obama, h/she could have written, "Obama's going to buy a...."
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