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Post by Alan Palmer on May 21, 2008 15:18:35 GMT
Paul,
Since we are "Not-the-APS Message Board" shouldn't the FAQs be retitled "Apostrophe FAQs" or similar? Otherwise those new to the site might waste time looking for subjects not covered.
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Post by Paul Doherty on May 21, 2008 15:37:59 GMT
Trouble is, Alan, I might want to but FAQs on other subjects here -- tips on using the board, for instance.
It rather depends on what questions emerge as frequently-asked, I guess!
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Post by Paul Doherty on May 28, 2008 13:21:52 GMT
I've added the Wikipedia page to the "links" FAQ. Funnily enough, I haven't read the page for years (although I think I possibly wrote a bit of it, way back) -- it's very good now.
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Post by Sue M-V on Aug 23, 2008 10:20:50 GMT
Paul, I don't visit this section of the forum very often, but I like the new look of the FAQ. However, I thought the heading "The Rule" was a bit drastic! It's the rule regarding the use of apostrophes for showing possession, but that is only one area of use. Can't it be relabelled indicating that it's the rule for possessive forms?
Please delete this post when you have either acted on or ignored it! It's nothing that needs to be kept kicking around.
Sue
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Post by Dr Mildr on Aug 23, 2008 10:51:40 GMT
There's also a typo in The Rules post (a case of Muphry's Law, perhaps!)
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Post by Paul Doherty on Aug 23, 2008 12:11:15 GMT
Now called "THE POSSSESSIVE RULE" and the spelling of immediately corrected. Thanks, both.
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Post by Dave on Aug 23, 2008 15:09:00 GMT
Now called "THE POSSSESSIVE RULE" Perhaps the thread title could be changed to the same?
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Post by Paul Doherty on Aug 24, 2008 12:06:59 GMT
Can't get away with anything, here! Thread title changed.
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Post by Malcolm Muter on Jan 30, 2011 13:37:01 GMT
I've read a lot of information relating to apostrophe use - I'm still confused.
Can you help with the following sentence?
The funeral directors first contact is usually but not exclusively after death.
or
The funeral director's first contact is usually but not exclusively after death.
Which is correct?
Thank you for any feedback
Malcolm
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Post by Twoddle on Jan 30, 2011 18:56:51 GMT
Hello, Malcolm.
Assuming there's only one funeral director, it's The funeral director's first contact ... . In other words, the first contact of the funeral director. The apostrophe comes immediately after the person or thing doing the possessing, i.e. immediately after "director"; if there were more than one funeral director, you'd write The funeral directors' first contact ..., with the apostrophe immediately after "directors".
Without the apostrophe the sentence doesn't really mean anything.
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Post by Malcolm Muter on Jan 31, 2011 17:28:51 GMT
Dear Twoddle!
Thank you for your help and taking the time to offer advice, I seem to have great difficulty with use of 'possessing'.
Thanks again, it certainly was not twoddle.
Malcolm
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Post by Jessabelle on Apr 4, 2011 16:50:33 GMT
With regard to approstrephes when when would you use
Society's insted of societies, stupid question, i know, but never quite got the grasp..... Not very good with noun, verbs etc...
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Post by Twoddle on Apr 4, 2011 18:04:11 GMT
With regard to approstrephes when when would you use Society's insted of societies, stupid question, i know, but never quite got the grasp..... Not very good with noun, verbs etc... Hello, Jessabelle. Singular: A Society; Singular possessive: A society's rules; Plural: Two societies; Plural possessive: Two societies' rules. To make a word that ends in a "y" plural, change the "y" to "ies". The exception to that is when the singular ends in a vowel + y, such as "trolley" or "boy"; then you just add an "s" (as with most other words), to get "trolleys", "boys" etc. Oh, and the "y"-to-"ies" rule doesn't apply to the names of people or things, so when Sally meets Sally, you have two Sallys, not two Sallies.
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Post by Tone on Apr 4, 2011 19:36:06 GMT
>so when Sally meets Sally, you have two Sallys, not two Sallies. <
And, likewize, two Land Rover Discoverys. (Which the spellchucker objects to.)
I wonder what it does to two Batmans? (Yup! It objects.)
Tone
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