{"id":153,"date":"2017-06-12T17:52:35","date_gmt":"2017-06-12T17:52:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1010elec201718\/?post_type=chapter&p=153"},"modified":"2017-06-12T17:52:35","modified_gmt":"2017-06-12T17:52:35","slug":"apostrophes-and-quotation-marks","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1010elec201718\/chapter\/apostrophes-and-quotation-marks\/","title":{"raw":"Apostrophes and Quotation Marks","rendered":"Apostrophes and Quotation Marks"},"content":{"raw":"

Apostrophes<\/h2>\r\n

Possession<\/h3>\r\n\"anWith possessives, the apostrophe is used in combination with an s<\/em>\u00a0to represent that a word literally or conceptually possesses what follows it.\u00a0Singular words whether or not\u00a0they\u00a0end in s<\/em>, are made possessive by adding an apostrophe +\u00a0s<\/em>. For plural words,\u00a0we typically indicate possession simply by adding the apostrophe without an additional s<\/em>. However, a plural that does not end in an\u00a0s<\/em> (e.g., bacteria<\/em>), we would add an apostrophe +\u00a0s<\/em>.\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<\/li>\r\n \t
  • her\u00a0professors\u2019 office (an office shared by two of her professors; if it were just one professor we would write\u00a0her professor's office<\/em>)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
    Note:<\/strong>\u00a0Practices vary from style to style, so be sure to check the rules in your course's discipline for this.<\/div>\r\n

    Contractions<\/h3>\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\nYou may find yourself\u00a0being steered away from using contractions in your papers. While you should write to your teacher's preference, keep in mind that\u00a0leaving out contractions can often make your words sound over formal and stilted. (And you shouldn't\u00a0eliminate contractions in your papers just to up your word count!)\r\n
    \r\n

    Your<\/em> versus You're<\/em><\/h3>\r\n

    Your<\/em> versus You're<\/em><\/h4>\r\n
      \r\n \t
    • Your v. you're<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Its v. it's<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Their v. they're<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nAll three of these pairs are the same kind of pair: a possessive pronoun and\u00a0a contracted version of a pronoun + to be<\/em> (you're<\/em> =\u00a0you are<\/em>;\u00a0it's<\/em> =\u00a0it is<\/em>;\u00a0they're<\/em> =\u00a0they are<\/em>). These are easy to mix up (especially its<\/em>\/it's<\/em>) because\u2014as we've learned\u2014an apostrophe +\u00a0s<\/em> indicates possession.\u00a0The best way to\u00a0use these correctly is to remember that possessive pronouns never have an apostrophe: if there's an apostrophe with a pronoun, it's\u00a0a contraction, not a possessive.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

      Acronyms and Numbers<\/h3>\r\nIn technical writing, acronyms and numbers are frequently pluralized with the addition of an apostrophe\u00a0s<\/em>, but this is falling out of favor, and there is typically no need to put an apostrophe in front of the s<\/em>. Therefore, SSTs<\/em>\u00a0(sea surface temperatures) is more acceptable than SST\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0when your intention is simply to pluralize.\r\n\r\nIdeally, use the apostrophe before the s<\/em>\u00a0with an acronym or a number only to show possession (i.e., \u201can 1860\u2019s law\u201d; \u201cDEP\u2019s testing\u201d) or when confusion would otherwise result (\u201cmind your p<\/em>\u2019s and q<\/em>\u2019s\u201d).\r\n\r\nWhen talking about a specific decade the 1920s<\/em> should be shortened to\u00a0the\u00a0\u201920s<\/em>. Notice that the apostrophe curls away from the numbers, indicating that the missing characters originally appeared prior to the apostrophe.\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\"anThere are three typical ways quotation marks are used. The first is pretty self-explanatory: you use quotation marks when you're making a direct quote.\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.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nIf you're just writing an approximation of something a person said, you would\u00a0not<\/em> use quotation marks:\r\n
          \r\n \t
        • She told me about Pizza the three-toed sloth yesterday.<\/li>\r\n \t
        • He said that he would be late today.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThe second is when you're\u00a0calling attention to a word. For example:\r\n
            \r\n \t
          • I can never say \u201cWorcestershire\u201d correctly.<\/li>\r\n \t
          • How do you spell \u201cdefinitely\u201d?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
            \r\n\r\nNote:<\/strong> It is this course's preference to use italics in\u00a0these instances:\r\n
              \r\n \t
            • I can never say\u00a0Worcestershire<\/em> correctly.<\/li>\r\n \t
            • How do you spell\u00a0definitely<\/em>?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nHowever, using quotes is also an accepted practice.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nThe last use is scare quotes. This is the most misused type of quotation marks. People often think that quotation marks mean emphasis.\r\n
                \r\n \t
              • Buy some \u201cfresh\u201d chicken today!<\/li>\r\n \t
              • We'll give it our \u201cbest\u201d effort.<\/li>\r\n \t
              • Employees\u00a0\u201cmust\u201d wash their hands before returning to work.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nHowever, when used this way, the quotation marks insert a silent \u201cso-called\u201d into the sentence, which is often the opposite of the intended meaning.\r\n
                \r\n

                Where do Quotation Marks Go?<\/h3>\r\nDespite what you may see practiced,\u00a0the fact is that the period and comma always\u00a0go inside the quotation marks.\u00a0(The rules in British English are\u00a0different, which may be where some of the confusion arises.)\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<\/ul>\r\nThe semicolon, colon, dash, question mark, and exclamation point can fall insider outside of the quotation marks, depending on\u00a0whether the punctuation is a part of the original quote:\r\n
                    \r\n \t
                  • 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
                  • Built only 50 years ago, Shakhtinsk\u2014\u201cminetown\u201d\u2014is already seedy.<\/li>\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 has its own punctuation.)<\/li>\r\n \t
                  • Did he really say \u201cDogs are the devil's henchmen\u201d? (The quote is a statement, but the full sentence is a question.)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\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>","rendered":"

                      Apostrophes<\/h2>\n

                      Possession<\/h3>\n

                      \"anWith possessives, the apostrophe is used in combination with an s<\/em>\u00a0to represent that a word literally or conceptually possesses what follows it.\u00a0Singular words whether or not\u00a0they\u00a0end in s<\/em>, are made possessive by adding an apostrophe +\u00a0s<\/em>. For plural words,\u00a0we typically indicate possession simply by adding the apostrophe without an additional s<\/em>. However, a plural that does not end in an\u00a0s<\/em> (e.g., bacteria<\/em>), we would add an apostrophe +\u00a0s<\/em>.<\/p>\n

                        \n
                      • a student\u2019s paper<\/li>\n
                      • one hour\u2019s passing<\/li>\n
                      • Illinois\u2019s law<\/li>\n
                      • interviewees\u2019 answers<\/li>\n
                      • her\u00a0professors\u2019 office (an office shared by two of her professors; if it were just one professor we would write\u00a0her professor’s office<\/em>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                        Note:<\/strong>\u00a0Practices vary from style to style, so be sure to check the rules in your course’s discipline for this.<\/div>\n

                        Contractions<\/h3>\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

                        You may find yourself\u00a0being steered away from using contractions in your papers. While you should write to your teacher’s preference, keep in mind that\u00a0leaving out contractions can often make your words sound over formal and stilted. (And you shouldn’t\u00a0eliminate contractions in your papers just to up your word count!)<\/p>\n

                        \n

                        Your<\/em> versus You’re<\/em><\/h3>\n

                        Your<\/em> versus You’re<\/em><\/h4>\n
                          \n
                        • Your v. you’re<\/li>\n
                        • Its v. it’s<\/li>\n
                        • Their v. they’re<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                          All three of these pairs are the same kind of pair: a possessive pronoun and\u00a0a contracted version of a pronoun + to be<\/em> (you’re<\/em> =\u00a0you are<\/em>;\u00a0it’s<\/em> =\u00a0it is<\/em>;\u00a0they’re<\/em> =\u00a0they are<\/em>). These are easy to mix up (especially its<\/em>\/it’s<\/em>) because\u2014as we’ve learned\u2014an apostrophe +\u00a0s<\/em> indicates possession.\u00a0The best way to\u00a0use these correctly is to remember that possessive pronouns never have an apostrophe: if there’s an apostrophe with a pronoun, it’s\u00a0a contraction, not a possessive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

                          Acronyms and Numbers<\/h3>\n

                          In technical writing, acronyms and numbers are frequently pluralized with the addition of an apostrophe\u00a0s<\/em>, but this is falling out of favor, and there is typically no need to put an apostrophe in front of the s<\/em>. Therefore, SSTs<\/em>\u00a0(sea surface temperatures) is more acceptable than SST\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0when your intention is simply to pluralize.<\/p>\n

                          Ideally, use the apostrophe before the s<\/em>\u00a0with an acronym or a number only to show possession (i.e., \u201can 1860\u2019s law\u201d; \u201cDEP\u2019s testing\u201d) or when confusion would otherwise result (\u201cmind your p<\/em>\u2019s and q<\/em>\u2019s\u201d).<\/p>\n

                          When talking about a specific decade the 1920s<\/em> should be shortened to\u00a0the\u00a0\u201920s<\/em>. Notice that the apostrophe curls away from the numbers, indicating that the missing characters originally appeared prior to the apostrophe.<\/p>\n

                          \n

                          Practice<\/h3>\n

                          Read the following passage. Identify any errors with apostrophes. Type\u00a0the corrected words in the text frame below:<\/p>\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>\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>\n