C

module 5

Understanding Possessives

  • A possessive demonstrates ownership of something.

  • Guidelines to correct spelling errors involving possessives:

    • For singular nouns or plural nouns not ending in 's': add an apostrophe and an 's'.

    • Example:

      • Incorrect: "the dogs fur looked nice and shiny."

      • Correct: "the dog's fur looked nice and shiny."

    • Example:

      • Incorrect: "my familys lake house is the best."

      • Correct: "my family's lake house is the best."

AP Style and Possessives

  • AP Style update:

    • For singular common nouns ending in 's': add apostrophe 's'.

    • Examples: "the hostess's invitation" and "the witness's story."

  • For plural nouns that end in 's': simply add an apostrophe.

    • Example:

      • Incorrect: "I can't find the boys pajamas."

      • Correct: "I can't find the boys' pajamas."

Possessive Pronouns

  • Possessive pronouns include: his, hers, ours, yours, whose, theirs, and its.

  • No apostrophes needed when using possessive pronouns.

    • Example: "my mom told me she wants her car back in its normal spot."

  • Common confusion: its (possessive) vs. it's (it is).

Common Errors with Possessives

  • Frequently encountered errors:

    • Example: "This tile mine or is it yours?"

      • Correct form: "This tile is mine or is it yours?"

    • Example: "This is her sweater so it must be hers, s."

      • Correct form: "This is her sweater so it must be hers."

AP Style Additional Guidelines

  • Plural nouns non-ending 's': add apostrophe 's'. Examples:

    • The alumni's contributions, women's rights.

  • Plural nouns ending in 's': only add apostrophe.

    • Examples: the church's needs, the girl's toys.

  • Nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning:

    • Distinguish by usage, e.g., "mathematics rules."

  • Singular nouns ending in 's': many style guides suggest using apostrophe 's'.

    • Example: "the hostess's seat."

Exceptions and Special Cases

  • Singular proper names ending in 's': use only apostrophe.

    • Examples: "Achilles' heel, Agnes' book."

  • Singular proper names not ending in 's': may take either apostrophe or apostrophe 's'.

    • Check consistency across writing.

  • Double possessive:

    • Use when referring to a portion of an animate object's possessions. Example: "a friend of John's."

Collective Nouns

  • Collective nouns can take singular or plural verbs depending on the context. Examples include: audience, team, jury.

  • Example of usage: "the jury delivers its verdict" vs. "the jury took their seats."

Plural Forms

  • General rules for pluralization:

    • Add 's' for standard nouns: snakes, girls.

    • Add 'es' for words ending in ch, sh, ss, x, z: buses, churches.

    • Irregular forms: child ➜ children; woman ➜ women.

Special Considerations

  • When pluralizing compound nouns, pluralize the most significant element. Example: "daughters-in-law."

  • Words used as words do not take apostrophes: "His speech had too many ifs, ands, and buts."

AP Style Guide on Plurals

  • Follow AP rules for specific plural formations:

    • Most add 's': boys ➜ boys, girls ➜ girls.

    • Words ending in 'o' follow varying rules based on their preceding letters.

  • For proper nouns that are pluralized: add 's' normally, but 'es' for names ending in s, es, z, x, or h.

    • Example: "the Joneses."

Conclusion: Using Because and Since

  • Clear distinctions between 'because' (strong causal link) and 'since' (temporal or weaker causal link).

    • Example using because: "We weren't allowed drinks because of spills."

    • Example using since: "Ashley has not been to the gym since March."

  • Use accurately to denote a logical link or sequence in time.