tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post9057486218912340000..comments2023-09-05T12:51:25.656-05:00Comments on edittorrent: Possessive CaseEdittorrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-60189253108065493402012-08-30T13:41:22.145-05:002012-08-30T13:41:22.145-05:00Wendi, I would follow the standard rule. Otherwise...Wendi, I would follow the standard rule. Otherwise, people will be confused and will think there's an error in the text.<br /><br />TEdittorrenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-5607874018914243332012-08-30T13:05:06.524-05:002012-08-30T13:05:06.524-05:00I understand that normally the possessive of "...I understand that normally the possessive of "it" would be "its" (it's being a contraction of "it is".) But, in my novel, I'm using "It" instead of a name for an evil spirit. If the spirit's name was Joe, it would be Joe's, so would possessive continue to be "Its" or would it be "It's"? Wendihttp://wendisotis.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-81464342852456708412010-11-18T11:41:14.943-06:002010-11-18T11:41:14.943-06:00More questions:
1. "The attorneys general&#...More questions:<br /><br />1. "The attorneys general's case" or "the attorneys' general case" (assuming joint possession.)<br /><br />2. "My brothers-in-law's wives" or "My brothers'-in-law wives"?<br /><br />3. If a word or name ends in a z, isn't it treated as though it ends in s? "Menendez's house" or "Menendez' house"?Adriannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-27955297417319112972010-11-17T12:24:23.714-06:002010-11-17T12:24:23.714-06:00This post came at the perfect time for me, Theresa...This post came at the perfect time for me, Theresa. I named my new hero Marcus, and I have to admit that I wasn't sure which way to go with the apostrophe. Thanks!Kristin Danielshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07310225852124529803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-60630647463496994062010-11-17T10:21:05.993-06:002010-11-17T10:21:05.993-06:00Great post! I always see the it's and its conf...Great post! I always see the it's and its confusion when I critique other writers' manuscripts. Another one I see is the confusion between your and you're. I try to tell the writers the apostrophe is there to show that the letter A is missing, and stands for YOU ARE, to try to help clarify it in their minds.Carol Riggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14092209912983783974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-31104976070751416682010-11-17T10:14:02.451-06:002010-11-17T10:14:02.451-06:00Great post! Thanks for the refresher.Great post! Thanks for the refresher.Adrienne Giordanohttp://www.adriennegiordano.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-49981284971711919422010-11-16T20:51:37.032-06:002010-11-16T20:51:37.032-06:00That whole s's thing just looks weird to me. ...That whole s's thing just looks weird to me. When I was in school (many moons ago) it was always: If it ends in S it gets just the apostrophe. This new trend in publishing of S'S messes with my brain. <br /><br />JTJulie Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02880895598847092028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-36804099604676663562010-11-16T19:03:36.822-06:002010-11-16T19:03:36.822-06:00I wonder if Jesus feels badly about not having any...I wonder if Jesus feels badly about not having any special rule. <br /><br />And then there's "its"...Gayle Carlinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15783449240138097315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-72048353601077829932010-11-16T17:17:15.588-06:002010-11-16T17:17:15.588-06:00You the bomb :D
I asked about boss on twitter and...You the bomb :D<br /><br />I asked about boss on twitter and received two replies-<br />boss's house and boss' house- for the singular possessive.<br /><br />UGH. I'm one of the ones that finally took liberty and asked Theresa. I'm doing NaNo, but having trouble turning the inner editor off for this one! I think it's because I've worked on this story on and off for a year, scrapping most of it. (Didn't have too much choice, my laptop was stolen/lost.)<br /><br />At least there will be less editing later... <br /><br />*goes off screaming about word counts*<br /><br />70k+ good word count for paranormal romance, right? RIGHT?<br /><br />Word verification=zinub<br /><br />Possible new name for a sect of demons, hmmm?Leonahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11786326364037397675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-18465727385511850132010-11-16T14:51:07.237-06:002010-11-16T14:51:07.237-06:00And then there's whose...And then there's whose...Laura K. Curtishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08444534759113332744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-16249698559460720062010-11-16T13:51:22.543-06:002010-11-16T13:51:22.543-06:00I went and dug up my S&W to check, and this is...I went and dug up my S&W to check, and this is on page one ... heh. S&W says that "ancient proper nouns" ending in -s only get the apostrophe, and the examples it gives are Jesus and Isis.<br /><br />I think framing the rule that way, Theresa, is probably the best justification I've heard for one or the other. It is slightly easier than getting to ignore the final consonant as per S&W's guidance.James Prayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12509353283987908424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-62679908322099687232010-11-16T13:44:08.896-06:002010-11-16T13:44:08.896-06:00Yes, Kiolia, there is some disagreement on that pa...Yes, Kiolia, there is some disagreement on that particular point. AP disagrees with Strunk and White, and I tend to side with AP. But I framed the rule this way mainly because it's easier to remember it if you look at the last letter without reference to its singular or plural status. <br /><br />I know of no special rule for Jesus. Jesus is specifically referenced in AP: Jesus' life.<br /><br />TheresaEdittorrenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-56455141535306569332010-11-16T13:26:37.257-06:002010-11-16T13:26:37.257-06:00According to Strunk & White, singular nouns en...According to Strunk & White, singular nouns ending in -s still get a 's (walrus's, James's, etc), except for select names (mostly Biblical, I think?) like Moses and Jesus, which should just get the '. Other grammar places I've seen say the same as this blog post. I don't know that either one is wrong, but the 's on -s words is frowned on hard by some people, seems like. As long as you are consistent, I don't think you'll get killed by an editor, though.James Prayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12509353283987908424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-23453109058048861512010-11-16T13:10:36.642-06:002010-11-16T13:10:36.642-06:00What about Jesus? I remember reading somewhere th...What about Jesus? I remember reading somewhere that because of who he was, he got special treatment, or something?John Hnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-67217677488203853652010-11-16T12:02:10.248-06:002010-11-16T12:02:10.248-06:00Don't forget everyone's favorite possessiv...Don't forget everyone's favorite possessive pronoun: mines.<br /><br />(Oh man, that takes me back to high school.)Jordannoreply@blogger.com