English Language Learners Stack Exchange
English Language Learners Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [apostrophe]

This tag is for questions about the usage of the apostrophe.

173 questions
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votes
3 answers

Something a 'stone's throw away' from something - what's an apostrophe and an article doing there?

Mike's house is just a stone's throw away from mine. This means Mike is living next door. Stone's throw away is an idiom to say something is quite near or at a very short distance. I understand this. The question is what is an apostrophe doing…
Maulik V
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6
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2 answers

Possessive apostrophe use

Is it correct not to use a possessive apostrophe in 1990s icon? I've just read an article where it was omitted. I understand that you don't put an apostrophe in decades/dates when you're saying something like I was born in the 1980s, as this is just…
Shiro
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6
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2 answers

"Maiden's of Telford" on the side of a truck: is the apostrophe an error?

"Maiden's of Telford"- is this grammatically correct? I don't think it is as it appears on the side of the company's trucks. But I would be quite happy to be incorrect!
Hefin
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4
votes
1 answer

Apostrophe S help or explain

If 's shows possession then wouldn't it be used in the following sentences? I want to buy a car's door. You have broken my computer's screen.
ESL I need help
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3
votes
2 answers

why don't we use "-'s" for some nouns that belong to other nouns?

I was wondering why we do not use 's for some nouns that belong to other nouns? For example: book cover or book's cover and house's door or house door Which one is right ?
Hossein
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3
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1 answer

Is this ad at a barber shop worded correctly?

Recently I saw an sign at a barber shop on which I read on bold letters: "Men's only" Is this a correct writing? I think that it has to be "Men only" to make clear that it is a barber shop for men only. Or am I wrong and this spelling is correct…
chris from cologne
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2
votes
1 answer

Whether to use an apostrophe after 'Games'

Should the following sentence have an apostrophe after 'Games'? I feel like it should as it's referring to plural 'games'. More tickets were applied for than at all previous Paralympic Games combined.
Shiro
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2
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2 answers

Professor of Botany's research - is it a weird apostrophe?

It was professor of Botany's research and not Biology's. Can an apostrophe be used like that? Obviously, I'm talking about the research that was conducted by the professor of Botany and not Biology I just used this involuntary but then I'm afraid…
Maulik V
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2
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1 answer

Girls Under 12 Champions.

Should there be an apostrophe in girls in the expression “Girls Under 12 Champions”
Jan
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2
votes
1 answer

I'm going to the dry cleaner's - why the apostrophe S?

"Dave's car" means the "car of Dave". But why do we need the apostrophe S in: I'm going to the dry cleaner's ? Is there another way to say this phrase? For example: I'm going to the establishment of the dry cleaner? (that sounds completely off to…
Gottano
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1
vote
2 answers

Apostrophe trouble

I am confused between two sentences: The World Cup 2015 comprises more than 25 one-days. OR The World Cup 2015 comprises more than 25 one-day's. Which sentence is correct? If both are correct, then which sentence is preferable? Why? Thank You.
Rucheer M
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1
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1 answer

is it possible (or mandatory) to use apostrophe after the word minutes in this case?

I am doing my business course assessent and the teacher gave us a case study about a coffee shop. The coffee has a policy of serving within 2 minutes. Of course, in my answer, I can write "waiting time of 2 minutes" (or any other…
LeanKervi
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1
vote
1 answer

Apostrophe with job titles

Do we use apostrophes when talking about a job position within a company? Example: IDB's director John or IDB director John Thanks
Juliana A.
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1
vote
1 answer

Sequential Possession

Why do we avoid sequential possession? For example, why don't we write 'My friend's wife's necklace was stolen' Instead we write, 'The necklace of my friend's wife was stolen. '
Ashutosh
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1
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1 answer

can't understand why 's is in this sentence

In the sentence "Foreign visitors are only allowed one month's residence", why is 's used? I found this sentence in an old version of the Oxford Advanced Learner's dictionary.
Emad
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