Apostrophes...correct usage?

The Lone Magpie

One of my play-testers for the Wicker Woman has commented that I should be omitting apostrophes when using a posessive term, ie " eating it's sausages". I deleted them with a doubt in my heart; I'm positive an apostrophe shoud be used in such an occasion (and also after proper nouns). Who's right?

GreenCard

I think the play-tester is right...

Arjun

He is right. Incidentally, this issue was highlighted in a thread that was all about... wait for it.... Apostrophes!

1980-20..

I hate them apostrophers grrrrgh. I always thought they were only used when you shortend two words i.e can't instead of can not.

But im sure there is more to it than that.

The Lone Magpie

Well, I'm confused. I was brought up believing an apostrophe denoted posession (amongst other things)...the pages below further this belief.

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/apostrophe?rskey=6IvOFS&result=1#m_en_gb0034690

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostrophe#General_principles_for_the_possessive_apostrophe

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/using-apostrophes-to-show-possession.html

Arjun

The Lone Magpie wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostrophe#General_principles_for_the_possessive_apostrophe

From the wikipedia article above:
"No apostrophe is used in the following possessive pronouns and adjectives: yours, his, hers, ours, its, theirs, and whose. (Many people use it's for the possessive of it, but authorities are unanimous that it's can be only a contraction of it is or it has.) All other possessive pronouns not ending in s do take an apostrophe: one's; everyone's; somebody's, nobody else's, etc"


HTH.

Daren

An easy rule to remember is if the word is a contraction of other words, then use an apostrophe, e.g.,

"It's raining outside" (It is raining outside).

"The dog is eating its breakfast" - here, "its" isn't a contraction of other words, so there's no apostrophe.

XTM of TMG

The world is full of greengrocers, innit.

Matt_B

You generally do need an apostrophe with a possessive s. The only exception is possessive pronouns such as its. "It's" is only ever used as an abbreviation for "it is/was."

If a word is a plural ending in s, you just use the apostrophe and do not put an additional s afterwards.

For proper nouns you can either do the same or put the s on. It doesn't really matter as long as you're consistent, although modern usage tends towards the latter.

The other thing to watch out for is plurals that aren't possessive. They shouldn't use an apostrophe at all.

The Lone Magpie

Right, so "it's" is a no-no (and a bad example tbh), but "Willow's room" is fine?

Matt_B

The Lone Magpie wrote: »

Right, so "it's" is a no-no (and a bad example tbh), but "Willow's room" is fine?

Yep. That's (i.e. that is) the right idea.

The Lone Magpie

Coolio. My original belief was 90% correct, just the word "it's" that's been mistaken all these years. *fires up PAW and reinserts a few apostrophes*

Paradigm Shifter

Its is the gender neutral version of his/hers. You wouldn't say it is her's would you?

It's is "it is".

Winston

I like this:

Dave Barry wrote:

An apostrophe does not mean "Yikes! Look out! Here comes an S!"

The best way to think of it is like this. If you're writing something, and want to stick an apostrophe in, think "does 'it is' make sense here?"

For instance, if you write "The dog scratched it's ear", expand the contraction when you read it back. You'll read back "The dog scratched it is ear", which doesn't make sense. So you get rid of the apostrophe.

Alcoholics Anonymous

One really good way to identify a brit online is noting whether or not they know how to use apostrophes. I don't know what it is about the british school system but there just doesn't seem to be any proper teaching of apostrophe usage. I'm sure something like this was mentioned in that thread posted by Arjun, otherwise good thing it's being said now :P

Matt_B

Alcoholics Anonymous wrote: »

One really good way to identify a brit online is noting whether or not they know how to use apostrophes. I don't know what it is about the british school system but there just doesn't seem to be any proper teaching of apostrophe usage. I'm sure something like this was mentioned in that thread posted by Arjun, otherwise good thing it's being said now :P

Yes. They basically stopped teaching grammar at all about 25 years ago. I think I must have been one of the last lucky few.

dm_boozefreek

I knew there was a reason I nicknamed the Apostrophe the Atrocity :D

mheide

The good news, of course, is that the Spectrum comes to the rescue.

Paradigm Shifter

No vote's for that software yet? Its a disgrace!

dm_boozefreek

Paradigm Shifter wrote: »

No vote's for that software yet? Its a disgrace!

Yes it's its indeed;)

deadpan666

The Lone Magpie wrote: »

Right, so "it's" is a no-no (and a bad example tbh), but "Willow's room" is fine?

Yeah, that's right! It always confuses me too...

Hehe...My English teacher would go mad if she saw my over use of .......s!

zxbruno

Alcoholics Anonymous wrote: »

One really good way to identify a brit online is noting whether or not they know how to use apostrophes. I don't know what it is about the British school system but there just doesn't seem to be any proper teaching of apostrophe usage. I'm sure something like this was mentioned in that thread posted by Arjun, otherwise good thing it's being said now :P

You forgot to add a period at the end of your sentence. :p

I never get confused with "it's" and "its", but I still get briefly confused when I need to use it together with numbers. That's one of the reasons I now say "I miss the eighties". ;-)

The wrong use of apostrophes is not as hard on the eyes as the wrong use of the words "they're", "there" and "their". :)