This is really out in left-field, but here goes anyway. I often see in books these days (and it seems a recent thing), that authors use "'s" on words which already end in an "s" or are plural. And I swear that is not how I learned it. I remembered - and have always myself written - it as just to add the "'" So, it's been nagging at me. And I looked it up. But the answer I found seemed....well, muddled.
2. If a singular common noun ends in s, add 's - unless the next word begins with s. If the next word begins with s, add an apostrophe only. (This includes words with s and sh sounds.)
* The boss's temper was legendary among his employees.
* The boss' sister was even meaner.
* The witness's version of the story has several inconsistencies.
* The witness' story did not match the events recorded on tape.
3. If a singular proper noun ends in s, add an apostrophe.
* Chris' exam scores were higher than any other students.
4. If a noun is plural in form and ends in an s, add an apostrophe only, even if the intended meaning of the word is singular (such as mathematics and measles.)
* The instructor asked us to analyze ten poems' meanings.
* The dog catcher had to check all of the dogs' tags.
* It is hard to endure the Marine Corps' style of discipline.
source
I think I am confused on the matter, but, I'm positive that some editors and/or publishers are as well. For I've surely seen proper noun ending in an "s" - Chris's - be incorrectly saddled with an "'s" Though, seeing boss's seems odd to me in general. Hrm....
I never claimed to be perfect in grammar (let alone spelling! Of which I freely admit, I'm horrid!), but still. Somethings just don't look right when I've read books lately and I think things are being done incorrectly all over. I might need to do more reading on this. Times like this I miss having textbooks on hand. When you're a kid, you always have books to help you track this stuff down. Not so much nine years out of high school and having never attended college.
Anyway, not really an entry. Just what's on my mind at the moment. (Which, well, happens to be posessiveness! *chuckles*)
Oh, and if you want to take a bite out of other english errors, browse through the common errors in english site. Rather interesting in a dull, dry, academic way. *grins*
~ flowers bloom near Memory and Dream
at 6/22/2004 01:11:46 AM ~
~
