... apostrophes. My goodness, at the mess apostrophes can make!
A few days ago, I wrote about how I sometimes really miss teaching literature. I gave a short summary of the Japanese work The Pillow Book and gave my thoughts in that form. I still miss it. You would probably get a kick out of the look on Carsyn's face when I recite the first eighteen lines of the "Prologue" to Canterbury Tales!
For today, though, it's a grammar issue that's just under my skin. So, let's talk about apostrophes, why don't we?
1. Apostrophes are used to form contractions. This particular concept is not a hard one. Most people do this one correctly. Basically, if you are putting two words together as a contraction, the apostrophe (a former student called it a "high comma") goes in place of the omitted letter(s). Hence, don't, weren't, doesn't, isn't (you leave out the o). One I see a lot of people making a mistake on is the Southernism y'all. This is a contraction for you all. So you see, you wouldn't put the apostrophe after the a (ya'll) since that's not where the letters are left out. And the ONLY time you use it's is when you mean it is. Makes sense, right?
2. Now...this concept is a big one. Apostrophes are used to show POSSESSION -- as in, the word with the apostrophe OWNS something. Examples: John's car; Tracy's jacket; Papa's pool; Nannie's Bible. If you are tempted to put an apostrophe+s, make sure you can answer this question: ____'s what?
This rule seems to freak people out if the word ends in s. No biggie. If the word is singular (only one), you would still use the apostrophe AND the s. If the word is plural and ends in s, put the apostrophe after the ending s. Examples: boys' jackets; girls' basketball team; ladies' Sunday School class.
3. Apostrophes are generally NOT used to show that a word is plural. The only exception is when not putting an apostrophe would cause misreading. Example: His a's look like s's. Without the apostrophe, a's looks like as, and ss looks awkward.
So WHY, I ask you, WHY???? would names be any different?
If your last name is Smith, and there is more than one of you in the house, you are the Smiths.
If you are a Johnson, and there is more than one of you in the house, you are the Johnsons.
And if your last name is Williams, and there is more than one of you in the house, you are the Williamses -- NOT the Williams'.
If you are a Jones, your family would be the Joneses -- NOT the Jones'.
If the plural of the name owns something, then you use the apostrophe appropriately:
The Joneses' car (The car belongs to more than one of the Jones family)
The Lees' car (Family name is Lee-- plural is Lees -- and they own something together).
If my daughter Lauren, who is a Smith, signs a note, a letter, an email, or a blog from her family, she would sign it as The Smiths (unless she wanted her mama the grammar nazi to hunt her down and lecture her).
If I want to sign anything from my house with our family name, I would sign is as The Williamses OR The Williams Family.
If I buy a Christmas ornament for Vicki and Josh, it will NOT say the Williams'. It WILL say The Williamses, or The Williams Family, or simply Williams.
If I buy something for Mama and Daddy, it will say The Campbells. No apostrophe -- they don't own anything in this case.
Clear as mud?
I'll bet you're running around right now looking at all your stationery, door signs, and email signatures :)
Will making a mistake like this send you to grammar jail? No.
Will it make me (or anyone else) not like you? No.
Will you feel better knowing you are doing it RIGHT? Oh, yeah.
No comments:
Post a Comment