Apostrophe
An apostrophe is a punctuation mark primarily used in English to indicate possession and to denote omissions in contractions. It appears as a small mark that resembles a comma positioned above the line, often used to replace missing letters in combined words, such as in "don't" (from "do not") or "I'm" (from "I am"). Apostrophes are also employed to make nouns possessive, which involves adding an apostrophe followed by "s" for singular nouns, or just an apostrophe for plural nouns that end in "s." For example, "Jim's pencil" signifies the pencil belonging to Jim, while "the players' uniforms" refers to uniforms belonging to multiple players. Additionally, apostrophes can indicate plurals for letters, numbers, or symbols, as in "four 100's" or "A's." However, it is important to note that apostrophes should not be used to form plurals of nouns. The historical context of the apostrophe traces back to the early 1500s, with its origins rooted in Greek, meaning "turning aside." Overall, understanding the correct usage of apostrophes is essential for clear written communication.
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Apostrophe
The apostrophe is a punctuation mark used to make a noun possessive or replace letters omitted in a contraction. It can also be used to indicate that letters, numbers, or symbols are plural. The apostrophe occurs most frequently in English but appears in some other languages as well, though its usage may differ. In literature, the term “apostrophe” may be used to describe an address to a person who is not physically present, as in Juliet’s cry, “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?” in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Background
The word “apostrophe” originated in Greek and means “turning aside.” It was first used in the literary sense for a scene in which a narrator or an actor turned away from the audience to address someone who is not there. This led to the apostrophe being used to replace letters omitted from words that are combined to form a contraction.
The apostrophe first appeared in the early 1500s. Historians believe that it was most likely created by French printer Geoffroy Tory (1480–1533), who used it to indicate omitted letters. The first use of the apostrophe to indicate possessive nouns is less certain but generally dated to the seventeenth century. However, the use of possessive apostrophes was inconsistent throughout the eighteenth century, even within documents written by the same author.
Overview
Apostrophes are punctuation marks that resemble a dot with a short tail, similar to a comma but placed near the top of a line of text with a tail that trails to the left. In some text, apostrophes appear as short vertical marks. They are used primarily to replace letters left out in contractions and to make nouns possessive.
Contractions result from the combination of two words by dropping some letters and joining the words together. The apostrophe is inserted in place of the missing letters. For example, “do not” becomes “don’t” and “I am” becomes “I’m.” Using apostrophes in this way is considered grammatically correct. They sometimes also appear in print in non-grammatical ways, as in “y’all” in place of “you all” or “he is goin’” in place of “he is going.” In these cases, the dropped letters and apostrophe convey the idea of more casual speech. The apostrophe is often used this way in fiction.
Nouns are made possessive by adding an apostrophe and an “s.” For example, “the pencil belonging to Jim” becomes “Jim’s pencil.” Plural nouns that end in “s” are made possessive by simply adding the apostrophe, as in “the players’ uniforms.” Singular nouns that end in “s” are made possessive by adding an apostrophe and “s,” such as “bus’s tires.” However, style guides used for some publications drop the additional “s,” as in “bus’ tires.”
Apostrophes do not make nouns plural. For example, “the state’s roads” refers to roads belonging to a state, not the roads of more than one state. However, an apostrophe is used to make some letters, numbers, and symbols plural. For example, “Susan had four 100’s on her papers and got all A’s in her classes.” They are not used in dates, where the correct practice would be “He was born in the 1990s,” not “1990’s.”
Bibliography
“Apostrophe.” Online Etymological Dictionary, www.etymonline.com/word/apostrophe. Accessed 10 Nov. 2023.
“Apostrophe.” Southern Utah University, www.suu.edu/writingcenter/undergraduate/pdf/tip-sheets/apostrophe.pdf. Accessed 10 Nov. 2023.
“Apostrophe.” Vocabulary.com, www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/apostrophe. Accessed 10 Nov. 2023.
“How to Use Apostrophes.”Oregon State University, liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/how-use-apostrophes-oregon-state-guide-grammar. Accessed 10 Nov. 2023.
“How to Use Apostrophes: Rules and Examples.” Grammarly, 18 May 2023, www.grammarly.com/blog/apostrophe/. Accessed 10 Nov. 2023.
“Misuse of the Apostrophe.” Hamilton College,www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/writing/seven-sins-of-writing/4. Accessed 10 Nov. 2023.
Schumacher, Helene. “Have We Murdered the Apostrophe?” BBC, 24 Feb. 2020, www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200217-have-we-murdered-the-apostrophe. Accessed 10 Nov. 2023.