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I always seem to get messed up with apostrophe use. Does anyone know of or possess a truly laymen's termed instruction on apostrophe use?
Apostrophe's for dummies?
- Thread starter Brindle Chase
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Apostrophes are normally not used for plurals (as you did in your thread title). Ordinarily they get used for possessives or for contractions. One exception that can get confusing: "Its" is a possessive, constructed in that way to avoid conflict with "it's", which is a contraction for "it is".
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's either means something belongs to someone, e.g. the man's hat, the dog's basket, fool's gold.
or
's means a letter has been dropped, like you find in everyday speech, e.g. he's crazy (he is), she's pretty (she is), they're here (they are), I'd like that (I would)
As noted, "Apostrophe's" is wrong, this should be Apostrophes plural since you didn't mean possessive 's belonging to someone, or a dropped letter.
-Derek
or
's means a letter has been dropped, like you find in everyday speech, e.g. he's crazy (he is), she's pretty (she is), they're here (they are), I'd like that (I would)
As noted, "Apostrophe's" is wrong, this should be Apostrophes plural since you didn't mean possessive 's belonging to someone, or a dropped letter.
-Derek
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Wow, thank you! Any idea when I should use the apostrophe after a word? Such as Brindles' instead of Brindle's?
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Singular nouns have the apostrophe before the s. Plural nouns have it after.
So, "I went to my parents' house, because "parents" is plural -- more than one person. This apostrophe is possessive, because you're talking about the house that belongs to them.
But if you were raised by a single mom, she would be your parent, (singular, the only one) and in that case you could correctly say "I went to my parent's house."
Kind of a silly sentence, but just illustrating a point.
So, "I went to my parents' house, because "parents" is plural -- more than one person. This apostrophe is possessive, because you're talking about the house that belongs to them.
But if you were raised by a single mom, she would be your parent, (singular, the only one) and in that case you could correctly say "I went to my parent's house."
Kind of a silly sentence, but just illustrating a point.
An easy way I use the apostrophes for a word: forget the apostrophe. Just write the word: Brindle (singular as in one person) or Brindles (plural as in a family) that's appropriate. THEN attach the apostrophe and s.
He lost Brindle dog.
He lost Brindle's dog.
He lost the Brindles dog.
He lost the Brindles' dog.
There are other rules that screw up this recommendation so you still have to be aware.
For contractions (my pet peeve): Try NOT contracting in your sentence.
The dog lost it's collar. The dog lost it is collar. Correct? Of course not.
The dog lost its collar. Correct.
How's you're dog? How is you are dog? Correct? The first [ETA: contraction] is. The second [ETA: contraction] is not.
How's your dog? Both correct.
He lost Brindle dog.
He lost Brindle's dog.
He lost the Brindles dog.
He lost the Brindles' dog.
There are other rules that screw up this recommendation so you still have to be aware.
For contractions (my pet peeve): Try NOT contracting in your sentence.
The dog lost it's collar. The dog lost it is collar. Correct? Of course not.
The dog lost its collar. Correct.
How's you're dog? How is you are dog? Correct? The first [ETA: contraction] is. The second [ETA: contraction] is not.
How's your dog? Both correct.
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Plurals do NOT use an apostrophe:
I have ten books (more than one book)
boys read books (more than one boy; more than one book)
Singular possessive nouns use an apostrophe before* the "s":boys read books (more than one boy; more than one book)
David's room = the room belonging to David
the boy's room = one room belonging to one boy
the boy's rooms = many rooms belonging to one boy
Plural possessive nouns use an apostrophe after the "s":the boy's room = one room belonging to one boy
the boy's rooms = many rooms belonging to one boy
the boys' room = one room belonging to many boys
the boys' rooms = many rooms belonging to many boys
Possessive pronouns do NOT use an apostrophe:the boys' rooms = many rooms belonging to many boys
my book = the book belonging to me
his book = the book belonging to him
your book = the book belonging to you
its book = the book belonging to it
their book = the book belonging to them
Contractions use an apostrophe in place of the letters that were omitted:his book = the book belonging to him
your book = the book belonging to you
its book = the book belonging to it
their book = the book belonging to them
isn't = is not
don't = do not
it's = it is
you're = you are
they're = they are
* Possessives for names that end in "s", such as James, are a little more complicated. For now, I would suggest just avoiding that problem. Revisit it once you have mastered the basics.don't = do not
it's = it is
you're = you are
they're = they are
I have it in my head that S-names should have 's added to show possession. James's book, Jess's car.
However, the one exception I was taught was archaic names. Follow Jesus' way of life.
Which doesn't help much if you have a modern-day person called, for instance, Moses...
However, the one exception I was taught was archaic names. Follow Jesus' way of life.
Which doesn't help much if you have a modern-day person called, for instance, Moses...
I think snowstorm meant that how's is correct.
It could have been stated more clearly, though.
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Thank you FennelGiraffe... that's exactly the breakdown I needed!!! Very thorough and helpful. I think I've experienced an epiphany about apostrophes today!
How's you're dog is as wrong as Professor Wrong McWrong, who lectures in Wrongology at Wrong University, Wrongtown.
It couldn't be more wrong if it stripped naked, painted itself purple and ran across the rooftops singing, "Hello, hello, I'm wronger than you!"
It couldn't be more wrong if it stripped naked, painted itself purple and ran across the rooftops singing, "Hello, hello, I'm wronger than you!"
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That's correct in most contexts. However, some stylebooks prefer "James' book" so I suppose if you're writing for some benighted publication silly enough to use that, you have to suck it up.
Yes, that's a strange little rule. I know a man named Orestes and two men named Socrates. And three or four men named Jesus. Apparently, Messrs. Fowler, Strunk, and White needed to get out more.
Using the "rhythm" of all my examples:
How's you're dog. How is you are dog? The first sentence is how some folks may write it with all contractions. The second sentence, per my recommendation spells out all the words. In the first sentence, the first CONTRACTION is correct. The second contraction is not.
Yes, FennelGiraffe figured it out.
How's you're dog. How is you are dog? The first sentence is how some folks may write it with all contractions. The second sentence, per my recommendation spells out all the words. In the first sentence, the first CONTRACTION is correct. The second contraction is not.
Yes, FennelGiraffe figured it out.
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It's me, Mario. How's it going, Luigi. Have you been to Peach's castle yet. I have just defeated Bowser's evil twin.
Maybe someone smarter than me can advise what's wrong with '...a laymen's termed instruction...' I can see that something is, but I'm not sure exactly what. Shouldn't it be '...a laymens' termed instruction...?' Or '...a laymens-termed instruction...?' Or is 'laymen' even a word? I'm so confused.
MK
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Some will skirt the issue by rewording. Maybe "instructions with terms for laymen."
But to answer specific questions:
Yes, Webster says laymen in the plural of layman, an average member of the congregation. Therein lies the clue to apostrophe use in this case of possession--add apostrophe s ('s).
So as poorly worded as the example may be, the apostrophe is correct in "laymen's."
I'm for rewording as suggested by Chase.
Layman terms
Layman-termed is an adjective describing "instructions" that needs to be hyphenated: layman-termed instructions
I wouldn't use laymen or possessive.
Better: "The digital camera comes with instructions written for the layman."
Layman terms
Layman-termed is an adjective describing "instructions" that needs to be hyphenated: layman-termed instructions
I wouldn't use laymen or possessive.
Better: "The digital camera comes with instructions written for the layman."
The problem isn't the apostrophe, it's the missing hyphen. It should be
a laymen's-termed instruction
On the other hand, my spellchecker is red-lining "laymen's". If that's the source of your question, all it means is that's an unusual usage not in the limited vocabulary the spellchecker recognizes.
However, I do think 'laymen's-termed instruction' is a clunky, uneuphonious phrase that would be better reworded.
Sorry, Chase. I'm one who frequently recommends rewording. I find there's a high correlation between sentences that are difficult to punctuate, and sentences that are still awkward even when correctly punctuated.
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