{"id":811,"date":"2016-07-15T23:00:26","date_gmt":"2016-07-15T23:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/waymaker-level3-english\/?post_type=chapter&p=811"},"modified":"2023-09-01T16:45:11","modified_gmt":"2023-09-01T16:45:11","slug":"text-apostrophes-and-quotation-marks","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-wm-englishcomposition1\/chapter\/text-apostrophes-and-quotation-marks\/","title":{"raw":"Apostrophes and Quotation Marks","rendered":"Apostrophes and Quotation Marks"},"content":{"raw":"

Apostrophes<\/h2>\r\nU<\/span>se<\/span> apostrophes in two in two main instances:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. to show possession<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. in contractions<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    Possession<\/h3>\r\n
    \r\n\r\n\"decorative\r\n\r\nSingular words, whether or not they end in s<\/em>, are made possessive by adding an apostrophe +\u00a0s<\/em>. For plural words that end in s<\/em>,\u00a0indicate possession simply by adding the apostrophe at the end without an additional s<\/em>. However, for a plural that does not end in an\u00a0s<\/em> (e.g., bacteria<\/em>), add an apostrophe +\u00a0s<\/em>.\u00a0 For example:\r\n
      \r\n \t
    • a student\u2019s paper<\/li>\r\n \t
    • one hour\u2019s passing<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Illinois\u2019s law<\/li>\r\n \t
    • interviewees\u2019 answers (more than one interviewee; if it were just one, you would write interviewee's answers<\/em>)<\/li>\r\n \t
    • her\u00a0professors\u2019 office (an office shared by\u00a0two or more\u00a0professors; if it were just one professor you would write\u00a0her professor's office<\/em>)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

      Contractions<\/h3>\r\n
      \r\n\r\nA contraction is a shortened\u00a0phrase. He\u00a0will<\/em>\u00a0becomes\u00a0he'll<\/em>,\u00a0are not<\/em> becomes\u00a0aren't<\/em>, would have<\/em> becomes would've<\/em>, and\u00a0it is<\/em> becomes\u00a0it's<\/em>. In all of these cases, the apostrophe stands in for the missing letters.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

      Other Apostrophe Uses and Misuses<\/h3>\r\nApostrophes may also be used to clarify words such as \"mind your p<\/em>\u2019s and q<\/em>\u2019s.\u201d\u00a0However, only use apostrophes to clarify information when it would be confusing not to use it (ps<\/em> and qs<\/em> is confusing without the apostrophe).\u00a0 For example, you write\u00a0 \"1920s America\" or \"CDs are now almost obsolete technology\" without the apostrophe.\r\n
      \r\n\r\nOne common misuse of apostrophes is in names, incorrectly substituting an apostrophe for a plural.\u00a0 You may see a sign in front of a house that says The Jones'<\/span>.\u00a0 If the Jones family meant to indicate that many of them lived there, which is usually the case, then the names should be pluralized: The Joneses<\/span>.\u00a0 The apostrophe shows possession, and would need to be clarified by adding the possession intended, e.g., The Jones' house<\/span>.\r\n\r\nFinally, note that you do not need an apostrophe with a pronoun that shows possession (e.g., theirs, yours, ours, his, hers).\r\n\r\nView the following video on apostrophes.\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=o6zzLAhEyqo&t=136s[\/embed]\r\n\r\n \r\n
      \r\n

      Practice<\/h3>\r\nRead the following passage. Identify any errors with apostrophes. Type\u00a0the corrected words in the text frame below:\r\n

      Thanks to\u00a0NASAs'<\/strong> team of sniffers, led by\u00a0George Aldrich, astronauts can breathe a little bit easier. Aldrich is the \u201cchief sniffer\u201d at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. His's<\/strong> job is to smell items before they can be flown in the space shuttle.<\/p>\r\n

      Aldrich explained that smells change in space and that once astronauts are up there, their<\/strong>\u00a0stuck with whatever smells are onboard with them. In space, astronauts aren\u2019t able to open the window for extra ventilation. He also said that its<\/strong> important not to introduce substances that will change the delicate balance of the climate of the International Space Station and the space shuttle.<\/p>\r\n[practice-area rows=\"4\"][\/practice-area]\r\n[reveal-answer q=\"61337\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"61337\"]Here is the passage with the errors in bold:\r\n

      Thanks to\u00a0NASAs'<\/strong> team of sniffers, led by\u00a0George Aldrich, astronauts can breathe a little bit easier. Aldrich is the \u201cchief sniffer\u201d at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. His's<\/strong> job is to smell items before they can be flown in the space shuttle.<\/p>\r\n

      Aldrich explained that smells change in space and that once astronauts are up there, their<\/strong>\u00a0stuck with whatever smells are onboard with them. In space, astronauts aren\u2019t able to open the window for extra ventilation. He also said that its<\/strong> important not to introduce substances that will change the delicate balance of the climate of the International Space Station and the space shuttle.<\/p>\r\nNASAs'<\/strong> should be NASA's<\/strong>.\u00a0His's<\/strong> doesn't need the apostrophe +\u00a0s<\/em>. In fact, possessive pronouns don't require apostrophes at all.\u00a0His's<\/strong> should be\u00a0His<\/strong>.\u00a0Their<\/strong> is a possessive pronoun; the correct word is\u00a0they're<\/strong>, which is a contraction of the words\u00a0they are<\/em>.\u00a0Its<\/strong> is a possessive pronoun; the correct word is\u00a0it's<\/strong>, which is a contraction of the words\u00a0it is<\/em>.\r\n\r\nThe contraction\u00a0aren't<\/em> is used correctly in the passage.\r\n\r\n[\/hidden-answer]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

      Quotation Marks<\/h2>\r\n\"decorativeUse double quotation marks in three instances:\r\n
        \r\n \t
      1. writing a direct quotation from another source<\/li>\r\n \t
      2. calling attention to a word, or using a common word in a special way (use\u00a0in special cases only; do not overuse)<\/li>\r\n \t
      3. identifying a chapter or a smaller piece of a text (a title of the whole text usually is put into italics)<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nFor example:\r\n
          \r\n \t
        • He\u00a0said \u201cI'll never forget you.\u201d It was the best moment of my life.<\/li>\r\n \t
        • Yogi Berra famously said, \u201cA nickel ain't worth a dime anymore.\"<\/li>\r\n \t
        • I can never say \u201cWorcestershire\u201d correctly.<\/li>\r\n \t
        • The article, \"Seven Ways to Prepare Stew,\" is an interesting addition to September's Cooking Common<\/em> magazine.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nUse single quotation marks in one instance:\r\n
            \r\n \t
          1. for a quote within a quote<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nFor example:\r\n
              \r\n \t
            • Stephen asked, \"Do you know which\u00a0Shakespeare play\u00a0contains\u00a0'the quality of mercy'\u00a0speech?\"<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
              \r\n

              Punctuating Quotations<\/h3>\r\nCommas\u00a0and periods always<\/em>\u00a0go inside the\u00a0end quotation marks.\r\n
                \r\n \t
              • Correct: The people of the pine barrens are often called \u201cpineys.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t
              • Incorrect: The people of the pine barrens are often called \u201cpineys\u201d.<\/li>\r\n \t
              • Correct: \"Because I like baseball so much,\" Harry said, \"my family tends to give me trips to different ballparks for my birthday.\"<\/li>\r\n \t
              • Incorrect: \"Because I like baseball so much\", Harry said, \"my family tends to give me trips to different ballparks for my birthday.\"<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nSemi-colons, colons, and dashes always<\/em> go outside of the quotation marks, unless these punctuation marks are actually part of the original quotation.\r\n
                  \r\n \t
                • Correct: This measurement is commonly known as \u201cdip angle\u201d; dip angle is the angle formed between a normal plane and a vertical.<\/li>\r\n \t
                • Incorrect: This measurement is commonly known as \u201cdip angle;\u201d dip angle is the angle formed between a normal plane and a vertical.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nQuestion marks and exclamation points\u00a0can go either inside or outside\u00a0of the end quotation marks, depending on whether the punctuation mark itself is part of the quotation. If it is, then the question mark or exclamation point stays inside the end quotation mark.\u00a0 If it is not, then the question mark or exclamation point goes outside the end quotation mark.\r\n
                    \r\n \t
                  • When she was asked the question \u201cAre rainbows possible in winter?\u201d she answered by examining whether raindrops freeze at temperatures below 0 \u00b0C. (Quoted material\u00a0retains its own punctuation.)<\/li>\r\n \t
                  • Did he really say \u201cDogs are the devil\u2019s henchmen\u201d? (The quote is a statement, but the full sentence is a question.)<\/li>\r\n \t
                  • I'm amazed that\u00a0Carlos\u00a0said\u00a0\"cats are preferable to dogs\"! (This sentence is correct, because the initial phrase indicates that the sentence writer\u00a0is the one amazed; Carlos' quotation is a statement and not exclamation. If the exclamation point were inside of the end\u00a0quotation mark, it would make Carlos' statement an exclamation, which is not what the initial phrase indicates.)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThe following video reviews quotation mark usage.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n[embed]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Aa37Y07ZvXs[\/embed]\r\n
                    \r\n
                    \r\n

                    Practice<\/h3>\r\nHas the following passage\u00a0been punctuated correctly? Type any corrections in the text frame below:\r\n

                    Gabrielly\u00a0and\u00a0Marcelo both knew a lot of \"fun facts\" that they\u00a0liked to share with each other. Yesterday Gabrielly\u00a0said to Marcelo, \"Did you know that wild turkeys can run up to twenty-five miles per hour?\"<\/p>\r\n

                    \"Well,\u00a0an emu can run twice that speed,\" Marcelo\u00a0responded.<\/p>\r\n

                    \"Did you know that there's\u00a0a dinosaur-themed park in Poland called\u00a0JuraPark Ba\u0142t\u00f3w\"? Gabrielly asked.<\/p>\r\n

                    Marcelo then told\u00a0her about \"Rusik, the first Russian police sniffer cat, who\u00a0helped\u00a0search for illegal cargoes of fish and caviar\".<\/p>\r\n[practice-area rows=\"4\"][\/practice-area]\r\n[reveal-answer q=\"443726\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"443726\"]There are five\u00a0sets of quotation marks in this passage. Let's look at each set.\r\n\r\nThe first set, around\u00a0fun facts<\/em>, may or may not be appropriate. If the intent is to emphasize the facts, then the quotes are incorrect. However, if you want to indicate that the facts aren't actually fun (and possibly annoying), the quotes are appropriate.\r\n\r\nThe second and third sets are\u00a0used correctly, and their\u00a0surrounding punctuation is also correct. Remember, commas always go inside quotation marks.\r\n\r\nThe fourth\u00a0set starts correctly; however, the question mark at the end should be inside the quotation marks, since the quote is a question.\r\n

                    \"Did you know that there's a dinosaur-themed park in Poland called JuraPark Ba\u0142t\u00f3w?\" Gabrielly asked.<\/p>\r\nThe fifth\u00a0set surrounds an approximation of what Marcelo said. This means no quotation marks are needed.\u00a0However, even if the quotes were needed, the sentence would still be incorrect: periods always go inside quotation marks.\r\n

                      \r\n \t
                    • Marcelo then told her about Rusik, the first Russian police sniffer cat, who helped search for illegal cargoes of fish and caviar.<\/li>\r\n \t
                    • Marcelo then said,\u00a0\"Rusik, the first Russian police sniffer cat, helped search for illegal cargoes of fish and caviar.\"<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n[\/hidden-answer]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"

                      Apostrophes<\/h2>\n

                      U<\/span>se<\/span> apostrophes in two in two main instances:<\/p>\n

                        \n
                      1. to show possession<\/li>\n
                      2. in contractions<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                        Possession<\/h3>\n
                        \n

                        \"decorative<\/p>\n

                        Singular words, whether or not they end in s<\/em>, are made possessive by adding an apostrophe +\u00a0s<\/em>. For plural words that end in s<\/em>,\u00a0indicate possession simply by adding the apostrophe at the end without an additional s<\/em>. However, for a plural that does not end in an\u00a0s<\/em> (e.g., bacteria<\/em>), add an apostrophe +\u00a0s<\/em>.\u00a0 For example:<\/p>\n

                          \n
                        • a student\u2019s paper<\/li>\n
                        • one hour\u2019s passing<\/li>\n
                        • Illinois\u2019s law<\/li>\n
                        • interviewees\u2019 answers (more than one interviewee; if it were just one, you would write interviewee’s answers<\/em>)<\/li>\n
                        • her\u00a0professors\u2019 office (an office shared by\u00a0two or more\u00a0professors; if it were just one professor you would write\u00a0her professor’s office<\/em>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                          Contractions<\/h3>\n
                          \n

                          A contraction is a shortened\u00a0phrase. He\u00a0will<\/em>\u00a0becomes\u00a0he’ll<\/em>,\u00a0are not<\/em> becomes\u00a0aren’t<\/em>, would have<\/em> becomes would’ve<\/em>, and\u00a0it is<\/em> becomes\u00a0it’s<\/em>. In all of these cases, the apostrophe stands in for the missing letters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

                          Other Apostrophe Uses and Misuses<\/h3>\n

                          Apostrophes may also be used to clarify words such as “mind your p<\/em>\u2019s and q<\/em>\u2019s.\u201d\u00a0However, only use apostrophes to clarify information when it would be confusing not to use it (ps<\/em> and qs<\/em> is confusing without the apostrophe).\u00a0 For example, you write\u00a0 “1920s America” or “CDs are now almost obsolete technology” without the apostrophe.<\/p>\n

                          \n

                          One common misuse of apostrophes is in names, incorrectly substituting an apostrophe for a plural.\u00a0 You may see a sign in front of a house that says The Jones’<\/span>.\u00a0 If the Jones family meant to indicate that many of them lived there, which is usually the case, then the names should be pluralized: The Joneses<\/span>.\u00a0 The apostrophe shows possession, and would need to be clarified by adding the possession intended, e.g., The Jones’ house<\/span>.<\/p>\n

                          Finally, note that you do not need an apostrophe with a pronoun that shows possession (e.g., theirs, yours, ours, his, hers).<\/p>\n

                          View the following video on apostrophes.<\/p>\n