Functions of the Apostrophe

Functions of the Apostrophe Functions of the Apostrophe Functions of the Apostrophe By Mark Nichol This post discusses the three primary functions of the apostrophe in the English language: the marking of the possessive case in nouns, the marking of the omission of one or more letters, and the marking of plurals of individual characters. (The obsolescence of apostrophes with abbreviations is also discussed.) Marking Possessives Apostrophes are employed in conjunction with the possessive s, as shown in the following examples: singular common nouns: â€Å"the farmer’s daughter† singular proper nouns that end in s: â€Å"Chris’ job† or â€Å"Chris’s job† (depending on which style one employs) plural common nouns: â€Å"the farmers’ daughters† plural common nouns that end in s: â€Å"the dogs’ bowls† plural proper nouns ending in s: â€Å"the Thompsons’ party† (no s at the end of the name); â€Å"the Simmonses’ car† (s at the end of the name) compound words: â€Å"mother-in-law’s tongue† separate possession: â€Å"John’s and Jane’s houses† joint possession: â€Å"John and Jane’s house† Note, in the case of proper nouns ending in s, the distinction between the first example, which refers to a party hosted by the Thompsons, and the usage Thompson’s, which refers to something belonging to Thompson. Lack of attention to this distinction is the cause of frequent errors in signage, as when a sign referring to the inhabitants of a residence reads, â€Å"The Thompson’s.† This truncation of â€Å"the Thompson’s house† literally indicates that it is the house of the Thompson and therefore is incorrect; it should read, â€Å"The Thompsons’.† Irregular plural nouns such as mice are treated according to the pertinent rule above, as in â€Å"The mice’s whiskers twitched with curiosity.† Also, nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning technically take an apostrophe with no s (â€Å"the scissors’ handle,† though â€Å"the handle of the scissors† is easier to read and say). This rule applies to similar proper nouns (â€Å"Highland Estates’ bylaws†). Another exception is in the phrase â€Å"for goodness’ sake.† Attributive forms, as opposed to possessive forms, do not take an apostrophe (â€Å"veterans affairs†). The distinction is subtle, but test for the correct form by determining whether the phrase refers to an entity that exists for a given group (â€Å"veterans affairs†) or belongs to it or is organized by it (â€Å"farmers’ market†). Names of holidays should be styled according to who or what they honor: â€Å"Mother’s Day† is treated as such, for example, because although the day is for all mothers, one traditionally honored only one’s own mother, while Presidents’ Day commemorates all presidents. (â€Å"Veterans Day† is an anomaly.) Insertion or omission of apostrophes is also inconsistent in proper names in general, especially in geographical locations (â€Å"Pikes Peak,† but â€Å"Martha’s Vineyard’) or names of entities such as companies and organizations (Barclays, but McDonald’s). When an italicized term takes the possessive form, the apostrophe and the s are not italicized (as in â€Å"The Wizard of Oz’s enduring charm†). Contraction Apostrophes mark elision of one or more letters or numbers, as shown in the following examples: don’t (â€Å"do not†) o’clock (â€Å"of the clock†) c’mon (â€Å"come on†) let’s (â€Å"let us†) l’il (little) OK’d (in place of OKed) ’tis (â€Å"it is†) will-o’-the-wisp (will-of-the-wisp) â€Å"rock ’n’ roll† (â€Å"rock and roll†) f’c’stle (forecastle) O’Hara (â€Å"of the Hara,† from Gaelic Eaghra) ’60s (1960s) Many writers are confused about this function in some usage, erroneously apostrophizing possessive pronouns such as its (resulting in the erroneous it’s) and plural nouns such as apples (confusing them for possessive forms, as in a sign reading â€Å"Apple’s on sale†). Also, plural possessives pertaining to time frames are often mistakenly rendered as singular possessives (â€Å"two week’s notice†) or as plurals (â€Å"two weeks notice†); the proper form is â€Å"two weeks’ notice,† because the notice â€Å"belongs† to two weeks. (Note, however, the absence of an apostrophe in the phrase â€Å"two weeks late† because weeks is plural but not possessive.) Another frequent error is confusion of use of the apostrophe as the first character in a term. When contracting a word by beginning with an apostrophe, as in ’tis and â€Å"rock ’n’ roll,† or when contracting a number representing a four-digit year to the last two digits, as in the last example in the list above, precede it with an apostrophe- not an open single quotation mark (‘)- but indicate a range of years with a plural s alone (1960s), not with an apostrophe and an s; reserve that form for possessives (â€Å"1960’s most significant event,† in which a year, not a decade, is under discussion). Also, an apostrophe should follow a number, whether spelled out or in numeral form, only in a possessive sense or as a contraction, as in â€Å"The 4’s diagonal line is sometimes formed vertically† or â€Å"This hundred’s a counterfeit bill.† Plurals of Individual Characters An exception is made for using possessives to indicate plurals of lowercase letters, as in â€Å"Mind your p’s and q’s,† â€Å"Label the x’s and y’s,† and â€Å"There are two m’s in accommodate.† Also, the first of these examples shows an additional exception, one to the style rule that letters are italicized when employed to refer to themselves, as in â€Å"Write an s in the square and an r in the rectangle.† (Normally, plurals of uppercase letters do not feature an apostrophe- and are not italicized- as in â€Å"the three Rs† and â€Å"I got three As, two Bs, and a C on my report card.†) Apostrophes with Abbreviations Apostrophes at one time were employed with a following s to indicate plurals of nouns styled as initials followed by periods, as in M.D.’s to indicate more than doctor or R.S.V.P.’s to refer to multiple responses to an invitation, because although those forms look awkward, M.D.s and R.S.V.P.s appear even more so. However, use of periods with initials is becoming obsolete, and an apostrophe in MDs and RSVPs is unnecessary. (Many newer coinages such as CDs and DVDs generally postdate widespread usage of periods in initialisms.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Incorrect Pronunciations That You Should AvoidIs There a Reason â€Å"the Reason Why† Is Considered Wrong?10 Writing Exercises to Tighten Your Writing

Wk 5 BA541 Asign Mass Customization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wk 5 BA541 Asign Mass Customization - Essay Example A good thing about mass customization is that it gives a company the competitive edge because the company does not just create any product, but those that customers need based on the company’s research. Another advantage of this strategy is that it promotes innovativeness on the part of the manufacturer and results to customer satisfaction for the consumer. (Babiarz, P., Piotrowski, M., et. al., 2008) Another benefit that mass customization brings is cost-reduction since companies, aware of what products or services are needed, are able to streamline processes. (Peppers, D. & Rogers, M, 2011). As mentioned earlier, there are also drawbacks in using mass customization as a strategy to build lasting customer relationships. One of these is that there is no standard per se in mass customization. (Peppers, D. & Rogers, M, 2011) For example, in some methods, customers can choose to change the color or style of a product once they have it. For others, it is different. As a result, some companies may lose their competitive edge because the method they chose may not give them information on what the customers want. For instance, companies who create interactive dress-up games for children may not know what colors or styles are designed by the consumers. Another disadvantage of mass customization is that, unlike in mass production, there is no inventory of finished goods so the customer may have to wait. (Zipkin, P., 2001) Because mass customization is dissimilar to mass production wherein the products are based on customer information, the company can project the quantity to be made. As a result, if there is an unexpected need, the quantity will not be enough. There have been several companies that successfully managed to shift to mass customization and received the loyalty of their customers. One of these that come to mind is Lutron Electronics Company. Specializing in lighting systems, Lutron listened to its customers and came up with a

Comparative Criminology - Prostitution in China and the USA Essay

Comparative Criminology - Prostitution in China and the USA - Essay Example The interpretavist approach is sceptical of universal interpretations and brings the variations as a result of cultures to surface. Interpretavist approach is based on orientalism whereby, they focus more on bringing out the differences. On the other hand, positivism is based on Occidentalism that denies differences and aims on establishing generalizations and similarities. (Maguire et.al, 2007 & Cain, 2000, 239-260) Therefore, the aforementioned approaches to the subject have been deemed very useful in further elaborating it; however, using an example to demonstrate the subject will provide empirical evidences and knowledge regarding the subject. Therefore, in order to shed greater light on the matter, the following substance of the prose will examine the exact nature; similarities and differences between the criminal behaviour as a result of cultural and epidemiological variations. (Cain, 2000, 239-260) II. Prostitution in China and the United States of America Prostitution is the act of providing sexual services in return for a monetary payment, and is one of the oldest known professions. Individuals involved in this profession are called ‘prostitutes’ and the legality of this activity varies from country to country. Prostitutes and brothels, which are special establishment that are the foreground of prostitution, pervade societies from the world over. Though, it exists in every society and culture but the main focus will remain on China and America. As it is mentioned earlier, prostitution is one of the oldest known professions; therefore, the most fundamental similarity between both countries would be that the sex industry has been in existence for a very long time. In both countries, women are largely involved in... The essay "Comparative Criminology - Prostitution in China and the USA" examines the exact nature, similarities and differences between the criminal behavior as a result of cultural and epidemiological variations. Prostitution is the act of providing sexual services in return for a monetary payment and is one of the oldest known professions. Individuals involved in this profession are called ‘prostitutes’ and the legality of this activity varies from country to country. Prostitutes and brothels, which are a special establishment that is the foreground of prostitution, pervade societies from the world over. Though it exists in every society and culture the main focus will remain on China and America. Prostitution is one of the oldest known professions; therefore, the most fundamental similarity between both countries would be that the sex industry has been in existence for a very long time. In both countries, women are largely involved in prostitution cases; though in the last few decades male prostitution has also surfaced and they also include people who have immigrant status in the country. The sex industry in China and the United Stated of America has been on the boom, prior to the massive attention it has attracted from the media and the way it is portrayed by them. After the communist revolution in China, the ruling faction in China established a resolve to eradicate prostitution and brothels from China, a social issue that had become quite rampant in both urban and rural regions of the country.

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Ethics - Essay Example Among the main ethical issues, which various people faced with on a day-to-day basis, is whether to be deceptive or to be honest. Is deceptions justified or is honesty always the best policy? This paper will discuss the ethical dilemma in detail and give examples where both situations are favorable. Honesty and deception From an early age, people are taught that honesty is a virtue and that we will succeed if we continuously conduct ourselves in an honest manner as often as possible. However, it does not take long for people to realize that honesty does not always lead to success, as people who are most deceptive prosper on a daily basis throughout the world. This therefore leads people to have internal conflicts as to whether to adhere to the principle of honesty, since the urge to lie becomes greatly magnified (Dal Cero, 2009). All the great world religions teach that honesty is the desired virtue that all people must try to cultivate. They thus show honesty as being good. On the o ther hand, these religions teach that dishonesty and all its forms is a society vice and should therefore be discouraged. Thus, the religions paint dishonesty as being bad. Due to this, a person’s conscience is calmed if he/she is being honest. However, a person’s conscience is not at ease if he/she is being dishonest. The individual’s conscience is not usually at ease due to the possibility of damaging their reputation if they are discovered to have lied. In most instances, the individual comforts himself by the fact that the negative repercussions of telling the truth would be far much greater. Hence, by lying one avoids negative repercussions (Dal Cero, 2009). However, in most situations, the consequences of lying are much more complicated than their face value. Lying leads self-guilt, damage of the reputation and lack trust by other people should they discover that one was lying (Hall, 2010). Deception can be either verbal or non-verbal. In verbal deception, the individual willingly tells the other person information, which is generally not true. The individual may offer the misleading information in order to benefit from a certain situation. Non-verbal deception is a situation where the individual does actions that he wants to be interpreted in a way that is generally not true. Secrecy or the unwillingness of an individual to offer vital information willingly or upon request may also be considered as deception (Garner, n.d). Deception may also occur in the form of diversionary information. The individual may attempt to control the information that he/she offers and thus substitute the relevant information with information from another topic. By so doing, the individual attempts to reveal information he/she would like the listener to perceive as valuable, which is not the case (Turner, Edgley & Olmstead, 1975). Most people require that their friends and other people who they associate with are honest. However, people always leave room for some lies since the truth may sometimes be painful, hence making lies and pretence to be appropriate at certain times. Telling the truth at all times usually has dire consequences; for instance, imagine a situation where your wife asked you whether she looked fat in a certain dress when it was

HR Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

HR - Coursework Example Job designing is aimed at improving the progress of an organization, for example by reducing the operational costs of the organization and the training expenses (Arthur, 2004). Job designing improves all these through many strategies, which, are put in place by the administrative body of an organization. These strategies are; job enlargement, job enrichment, job rotation and extension of work time length. This is the process of assigning employees more than one task and of different provisions. This helps in lowering the degree of specialization among the employees and helps them to develop new skills due to their experiences in the jobs. This is where the employee is given some authority left on the hand of the administrative body of an organization. Though it helps in equipping the employee with some managerial skills, it has some disadvantages. The disadvantage is that the employee may be granted much power, which may lead to serious administrative drawbacks. Job rotation; this is where an employee is posted to different departments within an organization. This helps the employee to absorb knowledge to under those different departments and save the organization from the cost of training other employees and also reducing the cost of paying large number of works. This is where the length of the working time is increased in order to give workers ample duration to offer their services without any inconvenience due to lack of enough time. This also helps the workers to work at a reasonable pace with low supervision and still produce better turn out. This is where analysis is made on the most essential components of a job with an aim of reorganizing the job in order to improve its efficiency. According to Robertson and Smith (1985), there are different steps involved in job simplification. The steps are as follows: The fifth step involves attempting the job personally and caution should be taken in order to avoid

Dietary Guidelines Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dietary Guidelines - Assignment Example A fit body and a healthy diet are the building blocks of a healthy life. If the body is healthy, its direct impact is positive on your mind .Also our body deserves the best timely nourishment in order to get optimum output. Keeping a track of your fitness level helps you to understand your physical requirements and lead a healthy life. I am a 24 years old male living in an apartment all by myself. I have to cook my own food but don't cook on a regular basis due to my lifestyle and mostly eat out. I play Tennis (State Player) and train with ATP professionals .I exercise in a Gym all by myself as I don't have any personal fitness trainer. My more focus while exercising is on the upper body and therefore my lower body is weaker than the upper body. Whenever I do weights the lactic acid produced in the muscles decreases the flexibility of body muscles. I spend 3 days a week for Tennis and Gym and occasionally enjoy swimming. I mostly drive and walking habit is almost negligible in my lifestyle. The above results show my sporting endeavor. I am of standard height and my BMI is normal. My Waist to Hip Ratio indicates that my body shape is in proportion to the body weight. My skin folds (percentage of Body fat) are slightly high as compared to normal (higher than 14% in men). My body has a high capacity to transport oxygen to muscles for utilization and generation of energy as proven by VO2 Max test. My Sit and Reach Flexibility test gives a good score (Paul Roetert, Todd S. Ellen Becker, Page 19); my muscular endurance is good as proven by Push Up and Sit Up tests. The strength of my forearms is good and I am right handed person as the test results for right hand were higher than the left. My shoulder flexibility has a high variance when compared between right and left. Right arm shoulder flexibility is excellent wherein the flexibility for Left Shoulder is below average. My Shoulder Press indicates low shoulder muscle endurance unlike Bicep curl which is indeed a good weigh t. In my speed test, timing was good in 10m sprint (burnt 1174.5 calories) while I didn't score well in 20m sprint (2350 calories burnt). 505 Agility test indicates that my ability to change directions when required while running was not good at all. The result for Bench Press Test calculated in Per Body Weight (1.3414) was good. The evaluation of my lower body strength i.e. Leg Press was Poor. 24 hours Diet Recall Dietary Assessment Nutrient My

EPIC systems as the chosen Information Management Application for Essay

EPIC systems as the chosen Information Management Application for California Pacific Medical Center - Essay Example The application incorporates the use of both computer and information science technologies. The application provides a wide base of operation and ensures the use of practical dimension of the recent technology as prescribed by the nursing informatics principles. The application is used in the hospital and has brought efficiency in the operations of the hospital. Incorporation of the application has worked in hand with other information management application to ensure continued efficiency and effectiveness. Consequently, use of Information Management Application help organizations improves on the quality of service delivered to the hospital clients. The applications support the core values of the organization; quality, effectiveness, efficiency and integrity. Introduction The EPIC system is a series of computer related technologies adopted in the health sector to yield efficiency and effectiveness in the area of operation used for one. EPIC system interlinks various departments and u nits of an organization with the aim of facilitating functionality in the operations of the organization. The inpatient and outpatient admission-discharge-transfer application (ADT) focuses on building internal hospital efficiency. The EPIC ADT application integrated in California Pacific Medical Center has key components with features that support effective operation of the hospital (Armoni, 2002). The diversity of the EPIC system ranges from their functional ability to the nature of patient handling. Outpatients and inpatients possess different data packs to meet their specific objectives. The outpatient EPICADT component package allows a quick registry of the incoming patient, keeping a mark on the number of patients visiting and leaving the hospital. It also keeps the focus on clinical data management of the patients. This starts with creating an account for every patient and which act as the core tool for identity of the patient (Scaffzin, Prichard, Bisig, Gainor, Wolfe, Salon, Webster, & McCarthy, 2013). All the details of the patient are kept in that account and can easily be accessed through use of the patient user name or identification details. The system stores information and data relating to the individuals who visited the hospital (Saba, 2006). Such information includes a description of the health status of the patients. The areas visited by the patients are also included in the system and EPIC ensures keeping a record in every unit. For example, a patient visiting the consultancy department will have his or her name written in the system. If the patient visits another unit in the hospital, for example the laboratory department, the name of the patient will have to appear automatically since it was once used in the system. The EPIC system has a working scenario of â€Å"one client, one file†. Ambulatory services will also reflect on the system. The inpatient systems also have its category of packages available for the patients. It keeps a smooth and updated record on the admissions made in the hospital (Tan, 2011). As well, the system keeps information and data on the discharges and transfers made in the hospital. The importance of such information is articulated in the database of the hospital and aid easy retrieval and access to the information. Information on patients in a hospital is a crucial tool and a management aspect that aid smooth operations (Hewwet, 2002). Furthermore, ease of