Search results for “apostrophe”

Among the many style items involved in American English, references to academic degrees remain a common source of uncertainty. Do we write doctoral degree or doctorate degree? What is the difference between a Ph.D. and an M.D., and when should the credentials appear in our writing? We'll address such questions to provide direction you can …

Another year of exploring the vast terrain of American English comes to a close. Once again, our routes of study with you have been rich with thought and discovery. We are thankful that you, our dedicated readers, joined us in the pursuit of greater precision and eloquence for self-expression. Each year, we wrap up the …

A plural possessive noun is a plural noun that indicates ownership of something. Example The dog's food is in the bag on the floor. (singular possessive: one dog) The dogs' food is in the bag on the floor. (plural possessive: multiple dogs) In the two sentences, the nouns dog and dogs are neither the subjects …

American English is replete with style questions and details. One item that can remain elusive for those seeking consistency in their writing is the treatment of academic degrees. If you complete your education at a community college, have you earned an associate degree—or an associate’s degree? Let’s discuss that further and arrive at direction you …

Negation provides us the means of expressing the opposite of a word, thought, or idea. It can include words such as: no nothing not neither none nowhere no one never nobody Let's look at a few examples: I agree with what she said. I do not agree with what she said. Everyone loves paying taxes. …

As November 11 approaches, some people may wonder how to write the name of the November 11 American holiday that commemorates the end of world-war hostilities in 1918 and 1945 as well as all who have served the U.S. Armed Forces. Do we use an apostrophe when spelling Veterans Day? The answer is no. According …

Contractions in English are the shortening of words, phrases, or numerals by omitting characters and replacing them with an apostrophe. The apostrophe represents the missing letters or numbers. You likely use contractions daily in your communications. In writing and speech, they help us save time in exchanging thoughts and ideas. They conserve space and length …

One of the ironies of education is that many people receive four-year degrees in the U.S. each year but aren’t sure whether their achievement needs to be written with an apostrophe. Even if you did well in English and grammar courses earlier on, such a detail may not be something you address every day. Do …

As the third Sunday in June approaches, many of you may be wondering how to write the name of the holiday—is it Father's Day, Fathers' Day, or Fathers Day? We last looked into the topic of where to properly place holiday apostrophes in a 2018 newsletter. Today we provide an update. Do You Use an …

A possessive pronoun is a pronoun that indicates or identifies ownership. It can be either an adjective or a stand-in for an antecedent, the noun to which it refers. Possessive Pronoun: Adjective Possessive Pronoun: Stand-In Noun my her mine hers your our yours ours his their his theirs What Are Possessive Pronouns: Adjectives A possessive …