Download PUNCTUATION MATTERS apostrophes

PUNCTUATION MATTERS
The Apostrophe
EATS SHOOTS AND LEAVES
The English language first
picked up the apostrophe
in the 16th century. The
word apostrophe is Greek
and means “turning
away”, and hence
“omission” (to leave out).
In classical texts , it was
used to mark dropped
letters and when English
printers adopted it , this
was still its only function.
Shakespeare liked to innovate:
he used the apostrophe as
a fashion icon:
“I am too much i’ the sun”
says Hamlet explaining his
mental unrest. This is a
clear case of a writer
employing a new–fangled
punctuation mark entirely
for the sake of it!
PUNCTUATION MATTERS
The Apostrophe
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR DUMMIES
EATS SHOOTS AND LEAVES
We express ownership in 2 ways:
At some point in the 17th century
printers decided to add an
apostrophe before the “s” in
singular possessive cases (the
girl’s dress) and from then on
the whole thing has spiralled
into madness!

(Victor
The French way
Hugo:“English is just French pronounced badly”)
The babies of older mothers are
often ...
The young people of Kelso ...
The orbit of the moon around the earth ...
The love of my life is ... English grammar.
 OR with an apostrophe
Hint: think of the apostrophe as a little
hand, holding onto an “s” to
indicate ownership or possession.
Older mothers’ babies are often ...
Kelso’s young people ...
The moon’s orbit ...
My life’s love is ... English grammar.
PUNCTUATION MATTERS
The Apostrophe
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR DUMMIES
EATS SHOOTS AND LEAVES
None of the possessive
pronouns have
apostrophes.
They never do!
Ever!
Never Ever!
POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
Singular
Plural
mine
ours
yours
yours
his/hers/its
theirs
Put it down, it’s mine!
it is
POSSESSIVE DETERMINERS
It’s does not mean
BELONGS TO IT.
It’s
IT IS
(always followed by a noun)
my
our
your
your
his/her/its
their
Put it down, it’s my book!
it is
PUNCTUATION MATTERS
The Apostrophe
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR DUMMIES
EATS SHOOTS AND LEAVES
Am I looking at my dinner or
the dog’s?
Am I looking at my dinner or
the dogs?
What is the difference in
meaning?
Correct punctuation
matters:
it helps the reader make
sense of you’re writing
and what you really
mean.
Can you spot the deliberate
mistake above?
PUNCTUATION MATTERS
The Apostrophe
• Hot Dogs a Meal in Its’
Self (sign in Great
Yarmouth)
• Recruitment at it’s best
(slogan of employment
agency)
• “ ... To welcome you to
the British Library, it’s
services and
catalogues” (reader
induction pamphlet)
• “... Giving the full name
and title of the person
who’s details are given
in Section 02” (on UK
passport application
form)
• Make our customer’s
live’s easier (Abbey
National
advertisements)
PUNCTUATION MATTERS
The Apostrophe
• Rewrite as necessary including apostrophes as
required (not all do).
• The cat heard the mouses squeaks and went
to investigate.
• The people listened to Christs words with
amazement.
• The runners muscles were tense as the starter
raised his pistol for them to start.
PUNCTUATION MATTERS
The Apostrophe
• Now, on a sheet of paper write a sentence
using apostrophes incorrectly.
• Pass the paper to the next person for them to
correct.
• Once corrected, write another sentence using
apostrophes incorrectly.
• ETC.