[NTLK] OT: Re: 20 MB memory cards FAQ

[joe kallo]

The Chicago Handbook of Style says they are both correct (i.e. Jones' and
Jones's):

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/PossessivesandAttributives.html?old=PossessivesandAttributives01.html

I had a thesis director who is now in his 80's who used to scream every
time I wrote "James'" as opposed to "James's." He was old-skool so maybe
the difference between their use is regional?

Fun fun!

Joe




On Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 10:26 AM, Dennis Swaney <romad at aol.com> wrote:

> I was taught that an 's at the end of a noun was possessive, meaning
> "belonging to". The main exception is that "it's" is a contraction not a
> possessive; "its" is the possessive form for it. Additionally, if the
> possessor noun ends with an "s" then only the apostrophe is added at the
> end as with my name: Dennis', not, Dennis's. Of course this was 50 years
> ago, and with the continual dumbing down of our public schools in these
> United States, it may no longer be taught.
>
> --
> Sincerely,
> Dennis
>
> On Sun, Dec 2, 2012 at 8:45 PM, Doug Denby <ddenby at rogers.com> wrote:
>
> > In previous versions of English punctuation, an apostrophe was used to
> > append the "s" in plurals. This habit seems to have evolved out of modern
> > punctuation, but it makes sense when applying the plural to an
> abbreviation
> > as it separates the actual abbreviation from the plural suffix, which
> could
> > otherwise be considered part of the abbreviation. The lack of a
> subsequent
> > noun that would make the noun with the apostrophe into an adjective is
> > sufficient to recognize the purpose of the apostrophe.
> >
> > And for a similar reason it can and maybe should be applied to proper
> > nouns, such as the Smith's and the Jones's, and maybe even to the
> > Gruendel's.
> >
> > Doug
> >
> > On 2012-12-02, at 6:42 PM, Frank Gruendel wrote:
> >
> > > Hi all,
> > >
> > > if you are interested in one of my 20 MB linear flash memory cards,
> > please
> > > get your favourite beverage, lean back, relax, and read the following
> > FAQs
> > > (no, there isn't an apostrophe in FAQs) thoroughly. I apologize to all
> > list
> > > members who already know this by heart.
> > >
> >
>
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-- 
joseph kallo
quietglow at gmail.com
www.quietglow.com