tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post1596602947120560564..comments2024-03-18T01:49:03.153-06:00Comments on Blood-Red Pencil: Ask the Editor: What are the Rules of Possession?Danihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-21707307492725592202009-01-23T22:10:00.000-07:002009-01-23T22:10:00.000-07:00Thank-you, Helen, for replying to my question rega...Thank-you, Helen, for replying to my question regarding the formation of the possessive for nouns and proper nouns ending in 's.'<BR/>I must respectfully disagree with you. The letter in which a proper noun happens to end does not determine the formation of the possessive. I do not think the possessive is formed based on simplicity and a desire to prevent alphabet redundancy.<BR/>The correct formation of the possessive for the singular noun, actress, is: actress's. The correct formation of the possessive for Mr. DeSantis is Mr. DeSantis's. <BR/>Of course, if the noun is plural, the possessive is formed by adding the apostrophe after the final 's.' e.g. The dogs' owner took all her dogs to the park. Here, the owner has more than one dog and "dogs" is plural and the apostrophe goes after the final 's' to form the possessive of that plural noun. <BR/><BR/>I was a sixth grade teacher for 34 years and I am now retired. I taught this "stuff" year after year and I think so often the possessives are formed incorrectly not because the rule changed as an energy saving device but because people just don't know how to correctly form the possessive for nouns and proper nouns ending in 's.' If it was an energy saving shtik, we would see 1 for one, 2 for two, and 3 for three. <BR/>Celebrities do not impact my world in the least. Their lives to me are better than a valium. And with regard to names, my friend's last name is Tumi. She named her son "Socket."<BR/>(And it is Rex's car)Marjoriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13323661411548419175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-72774438275269506292009-01-20T05:56:00.000-07:002009-01-20T05:56:00.000-07:00Well, hello, folks. I'm a day late because I didn'...Well, hello, folks. I'm a day late because I didn't know my post had gone up. Last time I checked, it wasn't even in the queue. <BR/><BR/>I'm with you, Heidi, I would still put the 's after Rex, until my editor with the publisher told me different. And, Marvin, always go with the publisher when it comes to grammar rules and spacing. You are a smart man.<BR/><BR/>That's the problem with punctuation, it seems to be in constant flux. No wonder we can't keep up with it!Helen Gingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09794759602654727110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-68799612008180877752009-01-19T19:50:00.000-07:002009-01-19T19:50:00.000-07:00What a clear and delightful blog, Helen.It always ...What a clear and delightful blog, Helen.<BR/><BR/>It always helps to know why things change, even if the "reasons" make little sense.Shelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04605196832676173145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-58714225451290742052009-01-19T19:18:00.000-07:002009-01-19T19:18:00.000-07:00Interesting post, Helen. I've always been hopeless...Interesting post, Helen. I've always been hopelessly confused about this issue, so it's nice to have some clarity about it. <BR/><BR/>To tell you the truth, I'm relieved I don't have to add the extra "s" anymore. That used to drive me crazy. Thanks for the insight!L.C. Ganthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11079008223326433494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-14210839030617042912009-01-19T09:07:00.000-07:002009-01-19T09:07:00.000-07:00I say, just wait...as soon as you think you've got...I say, just wait...as soon as you think you've got it right, editors will change thing's'!!!<BR/>http://abookinside.blogspot.comCarolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16575560533081045606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-57100254927611939402009-01-19T07:28:00.000-07:002009-01-19T07:28:00.000-07:00Excellent article, Helen. I learned some of the "w...Excellent article, Helen. I learned some of the "why" re: this subject that I'd been wondering about.<BR/><BR/>On the spacing between sentences, I recently edited a book for a new author at All things That Matter Press. I noticed he had double spaces between sentences. I reduced them to single space for the whole first chapter then asked him (when I sent the edits back to him) to please do the same throughout the whole ms. He wrote back thanking me for the thorough editing job and good suggestions for better rewrites, but objected to the single spacing rule. He said he had one previously published book (he's a British author) that was published that way and that was the way he had been taught.<BR/><BR/>And the HEAD editor at ATTMP agreed with him - that's what SHE prefers also. I acquiesced, even though when I first sent a ms into the pub for my first book I had used dble spaces and was told they did NOT want that, please reduce to single!<BR/><BR/>Go figure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-20930815580746966552009-01-19T04:42:00.000-07:002009-01-19T04:42:00.000-07:00Oh, English, you crazy mutt of a language.So, does...Oh, English, you crazy mutt of a language.<BR/><BR/>So, does a name ending in X have any special rules or is X treated like any other non-S letter? My third grade teacher drilled into us that it was "Rex' car", not "Rex's car" and that just doesn't make sense to me.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11865524260060421873noreply@blogger.com