Figure Out Where to Put the Apostrophe With This Handy Flowchart
For some of us, grade-school grammar lessons haven’t stuck. I managed fairly well with my trusty Elements of Style until pretty recently, but the ongoing assault on grammar that is the Internet occasionally shakes my confidence. (Every time I want to type rein, rain, or reign, for example, I need to close my eyes and meditate for a moment.)
Alan Levine
If you’re one of those people for whom grammar and punctuation don’t come easily (or aren’t a native English speaker), this handy flowchart from GrammarCheck.net will come in handy: It will help you navigate all the questions that determine whether you need an apostrophe or not, from the big (Are you making something possessive?) to the small (Is it a single-letter word?).
Now, confession: I love reading grammar guides not only because I’m a total geek, but because I often either learn something I don’t know or the explanation articulates a concept I understand intuitively but never really thought about: For example, one-letter words in sentences like “There are two t’s in kittens” take an apostrophe.
One quibble: In the “Are you making a contraction?” section, the question reads “Are you making words shorter by replacing some of its letters with an apostrophe?” This is sloppy—it should read “Are you making words shorter by replacing some of their letters with an apostrophe?” Perhaps the next GrammarCheck flowchart should be on the sticky grammar question of agreement.
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The trouble with this kind of tool is that those who care about grammar usually know it fairly well, while those who need a lot of help usually... don't give a flying F.
But please folks... Just ONE rule: don't use an apostrophe for plural. I you do, you'll be wrong 99.99% of the time...
So... The plural of kitten is kitten's? I've never heard of the double letter thing.
That's what Bob just said NOT to do.
The plural for kitten is "kittens" with no apostrophe as in:
My cat had four kittens.
If kittens becomes a possessive noun such as:
I threw the kitten's toy for him to chase. In this case, an apostrophe is warranted.
Or it can be a plural possessive with the apostrophe at the end: "I threw the kittens' toys for them to chase." There, now the lesson is complete!
No, the flowchart specifically says that the word kitten has 2 tees so you use an apostrophe for plural. Am I wrong? It's so confusing. I thought I was good at this.
You are misreading the example. Which is if the word being used is a single letter, like "t", then when it is pluralized, then you use an apostrophe and s as in "Kitten has two t's in it."
Thank you for the lesson in grammars.
(Every time I want to type rein, rain, or reign, for example, I need to close my eyes and meditate for a moment.)
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I just use em all in the same sentence, problem solved, cause as most are well aware of around here, there is nothing more important than being grammatically correct, to this ignorant fool,
The only advice in the flowchart which I would never follow is adding 's after a name that ends in "s" to indicate a possessive. Using the name Dennis as an example, the chart would authorize Dennis's. IMO an apostrophe after the name is sufficient. Now what do we do when there are a number of Dennis's (which seems to be the proper form to pluralize Dennis) who own something together? Would it be Dennis's'? I note that that was not red-underlined, so it's probably right.
Another question is whether it's correct to pluralize "it" like this: There are too many its used in that sentence (in the event that the word "it" is used too often). But then what if the word "its" is used too often? Do you write: There are too many (its' or its's) used in that sentence. The latter was red-underlined, so my computer thinks that the former use is correct.
Homonyms and the failure of computer spell check to identify the correct usage thereof is a whole other story.
I've never done it that way either. Seems redundant.
The Elements Of Style is free online for anyone who might be interested.
The free version of Grammarly is decent but far from perfect.
what, writing style
cause i style my hair after my wrong righting, it's easy
i njust stick my tongue in the light socket with switch on.
Your indoubtedly rite this tyme. Some peoples gramer righting and speling is real bad. Irregardless, its plane too sea Im shure you agree. Whats up with that. I jest dont know do you. Just askin? Im curis, two...
Having the Owner and General Manager of tw business, and being the Secretary of the Board of Directors for a Technology Assoc., as well as the Executive Secretary for the Superintendent of Maintenance for a large Transit Operation, I had to learn very early the value of good grammar and its importance in how written correspondence reflects on the writer, the person who signs the document and the company they represent.
Plus, I had to learn to type 120 wpm in order to make sure the necessary documents were ready on time. I was also a data entry technician at the San Diego Navel Air Station where every minute and key stroke cost money. Typing at 120 wpm and maintaining total accuracy was a challenge, but, there was a lot on the line and there were no other choices at the time.
So yes, good grammar is important, and is a direct reflection on the person behind the keyboard. I often find that most people are more willing to over look a misspelled word now and then than they are in over looking poor grammar.
I actually find myself mentally correcting other people's grammar as I am reading. Old habit. (grin)
In my case, preparing legal documents REQUIRED perfect grammar or they could be interpreted differently than intended, so preparing them for 37 years, and then teaching English to Chinese students has had its effects. However, I rarely criticize others for poor grammar because in many circumstances English could be the user's second language, and I wished I could speak or write their first language as well they could speak or write English. As well, one must assume that typographical errors are so easily committed.
Only one time recently I corrected a member whose English was his first language when he used the word it's as a possessive, and the only reason I did was because in his comment he actually called OTHER members stupid. Of course he disagreed with me, said I was wrong, and argued that it's was the possessive use, and then he checked a grammar guide and apologized.
Indeed, I worked as a paralegal for a law firm for 3 years, and as you said, correct grammar and spelling was/is imperative.
Also, I was a Microsoft MVP for 3 years, and during that time I helped edit the Help files for some of the apps. for correct spelling and grammar during the pre-release process. My nickname with those groups was "Teacher", as many would come and ask me how to spell words, or which punctuation should be used.
I don't call out the mistakes of others, as at this point in life my eyes and fingers don't work as well as they did when I was younger. And working from a laptop keyboard is not one of my best efforts. Especially, when it tries to second guess what I want to write or say.(smile)
Or you could just use "Grammarly.com"...
but seriously, really neat flow chart.
Do you have the paid version or the freebie version?
Buzz taught me about its and it's.
I just somehow was taught to use an apostrophe if it was supposed to be possessive.
Sort of like too and to. I still have a problem with that one. I just use too like I would, as well.
Just so everyone will know, Ender was NOT the person whom I said called other members stupid.
Haha
Thanks.
For the record, Buzz helped me with a short article I wrote. Thanks again.
Another one I thought of, beside too and to.
Affect end effect.
I usually get them wrong so I just say impact.
Assure... Ensure... Insure
Yup, ensure / insure is a common problem area.
there, their, they're; your, you're
Believe it or not, in a detective novel, "bauble" instead of "bobble"!
Shouldn't be too hard to distinguish - affect=verb effect=noun
Well you know English is strange Buzz. One can effect a change to produce a positive effect that will affect others who are then considered to be affected.
See, both instances sounded like verb usage to me.
Effect a change is a verb usage but the effect of the change is a noun usage. This is one of the reasons English is so difficult ... all the special rules.
Yes, that's right. I didn't think of the fact that "effect" can also be used as a verb.
LOL. If you think ENGLISH is difficult, what about 中文
I hear you - an entirely different paradigm. Symbols with the meaning at the level of the English word which are modified by adjacent symbols to produce an idea.
Well, in this instance, i'll have to admit,
im somewhat like Trumppy, asz he and i are the non acception ssayin those special rules don't apply to US, but Russia will gbet to have the casast lyoh,
as Putin playwd wt his pony, while Trumppy pinned its tale, while pullin tillersonspittin one out, with a forj=ked tongue, that he uses toknife through the mou7nds of almond rejoices, that spork onto a fork like a dork about to consummate his divorcefrom a pseudo reality
staar ring himself asz the prez