Ooh, first bit in the apostrophe bit of my essay because it's so contentious!
I couldn't leave this section without mentioning the humble apostrophe. Not so humble, actually, because correct usage is essential for clarity. They're used primarily to form the possessive of a noun:
• add 's to the singular form of a word (even if it ends in -s): the owner's car James's hat
...was the advice I parroted, then had to concede the point to a commenter that James' hat (or Louis' hat) was equally clear. I stand by Louis's hat, whether or not the -s is silent, though, as correct, very strictly speaking.
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Date: 2010-04-16 01:16 am (UTC)I couldn't leave this section without mentioning the humble apostrophe. Not so humble, actually, because correct usage is essential for clarity. They're used primarily to form the possessive of a noun:
• add 's to the singular form of a word (even if it ends in -s):
the owner's car
James's hat
...was the advice I parroted, then had to concede the point to a commenter that James' hat (or Louis' hat) was equally clear. I stand by Louis's hat, whether or not the -s is silent, though, as correct, very strictly speaking.