How to use the Apostrophe Correctly
At any printing company it's important to be on the look out for mistakes and typos and one of the most common is the apostrophe. It's such a tiny mark on the paper, sometimes no bigger than a few millimeters but it does cause some of the biggest headaches for copywriters. And just to add to the confusion, some major high street names (such as Tesco) are dropping the apostrophe from signs and their corporate branding, citing that the punctuation mark is old fashioned and soon to be entirely redundant. Fighting back is the AAAA (Association for the Annihilation of the Aberrant Apostrophe) whose remit is 'the misuse of the apostrophe'. Language and grammar certainly does change over time but surely the apostrophe can't be consigned to the rubbish bin forever as this seemingly innocent mark can entirely change the meaning of a sentence. The English Novelist Kingsley Amis was asked to come up with a sentence which illustrates the need for the apostrophe. He wrote "Those things over there are my husband's" and "Those things over there are my husbands" - same words but very different syntax.
There are two reasons why an apostrophe should be used. Firstly, to indicate the possessive i.e. to signify something belongs to a person, object or organisation. In this instance you should add an apostrophe and an s.
They found Peter's ball in the park.
The door's hinges squeaked.
The charity's party was a success.
If the objects are owned by a group, then sometimes the group already ends in an s i.e. dogs, cats, trees etc. In these cases you just add an apostrophe on its own.
The cats' basket needed cleaning. (Several cats sharing one basket.)
The dogs' collars were wet. (The collars belonging to all of the dogs.)
The trees' leaves were beautiful. (Many trees with leaves.)
Two exceptions: if the plural doesn't end with an s then you still need to add the apostrophe and the s e.g. the women's bags, the football team's kit. And if the person, object or organisation is singular but already ends in an s you can choose whether to add just an apostrophe or an apostrophe and an s - St James's Palace or St James' Palace - both are correct.
The other way apostrophes are commonly used is when two words are made in to one:
Was not - wasn't.
You are - you're.
I have - I've.
Another main point of error when using the apostrophe is the word 'its'. Without getting in to too much of a complicated grammatical explanation if 'its' could be replaced in your sentence with 'it is' you do need an apostrophe.
It's great to see you.
It's a long walk home.
For Edward, it's a difficult task.
Whereas no apostrophe is needed here:
The bird ate its seeds.
The fox stopped in its tracks.
The dog wagged its tail.
A final word - don't add apostrophes unnecessarily. Plurals don't need them i.e. The Browns bought a car, the 1980s, the holidays, CVs etc.
When proof reading, it is often worth doing one check entirely for grammar and punctuation without thinking about the design or flow of the text. Lots of people may not notice an errant apostrophe but we have heard stories about consumers who have posted a piece of direct mail back to a company with all mistakes marked up with a red marker pen!
Questions and Answers
Article Tags:
printing
,design and printing
,digital printing
,litho printing
,eco friendly printing
,business cards
,leaflets
,flyers
,business card printing
,flyer printing
,business flyers
When promoting a business, printing flyers, brochures, leaflets and posters can be a excellent way to get publicity. But with the recession still hitting businesses hard, it is important to keep printing costs as low as possible and this article provides some tips for keeping the costs to a minimum.
When designing a flyer to promote your business or event, you need to ensure that it is eye catching and attention-grabbing for all the right reasons. Read on to discover some great tips about how to design the perfect flyer to suit your target audience.
To many people around the world the increased cost of an everyday item such as paper wouldn't make a great difference or even be noticed by many, but for some businesses such as the printing industry, where paper is very important, it can have a very dramatic effect.
Have you come across the term, gamification, before? Maybe you have and found you do not quite understand what it means. Put simply, it is a term used to have a person or group of person's complete tasks to gain a reward. More often, the more tasks one completes then more or larger rewards are gained.
People always searching for information related to travel experiences online. Writing reviews and making travel recommendations the earn you a lot of money.
Becoming a success in Internet marketing is not an overnight process. Getting good positions in search engines takes time and lots of content.
Article marketing is not as hard as you think. All it takes is a creative mindset to learning new approaches, in leveraging the power of the internet to work for you.
if you can produce content five days out of the week for two years, you can potentially earn a full-time living online.
Postcard campaigns have become increasingly popular for businesses seeking a high-impact but low cost method to target potential customers. Read on for further advice on creating effective postcard campaigns.
Often the first form of contact that a consumer has with a business is through various literature, however too often than not, businesses forget to ensure that their literature is up to date. Read on for some key factors to consider when designing your business literature.
Businesses often communicate with their customers by letter, meaning it is important to ensure that your letterhead provides a professional image. Read on to discover some great tips about how to design the perfect letterhead.
When designing a folder to hand out at a business event, or to send to clients it is important to ensure that it provides a professional image. Read on to discover some great tips about how to design the perfect business folder.
When designing your business Christmas cards it can be difficult to know where to start. Read on for some great tips to ensure that your Christmas cards stand out from the crowd.
Discuss this Article
