The first rule discussed in the bible of grammar, "The Elements of Style" is on how to properly use 's in cases where there is already an "s" at the end of the word. Given examples: Charles's friends, Burns's poems.
My question, has this rule been changed so that it is now proper grammar to put the following: Charles' friend, Burns' poems?
Recently a teacher took of points for bad grammar in an essay I wrote for not doing as the second set of examples does (I showed him my copy of The Elements of Style and he gave me those points) but now my word processor is saying my usage of the rule is not correct. Has the rule changed? If it has, has it changed because people were ignorant of the rule? Grammar is not objective and unfortunately when enough people make the same mistake, then it becomes the new rule. Sorry, I don't want to rant. My grammar is far from perfect -- and apparently outdated. Will someone please fill me in on which is now the proper rule.
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7 comments:
I write as you did, and as it says in the elements of style book; I've seen it both ways, but have always used the "s's" form when it's come up in research I've turned in. I've never been dinged in the academic circles I've drifted lazily around in.
The first rule of grammar is that it doesn't have an 'e' in it ;)
Seriously though, I have no clue. I just wing it. The two things that screw me up are post-period spacing (apparently, officially it's supposed to be one space, whereas I was taught two and that's what stuck with me), and quotation punctuation (again just apparently, but apparently(hehe) the official ruling is now much more hacker-friendly. Except for sentence breaks, punctuation goes outside the quotations.
For example: "Listen", she said. "I'm serious: he said 'go fuck yourself'!")
ack... I would have written that bit of dialog like this:
"Listen," she said. "I'm serious; he said 'go fuck yourself!'"
But then again, I -definitely- need others to edit my own stuff, before I post it. So what do I know?
As it happens, I'll likely be a day late with my myth... to my shame.
"Go fuck yourself," he said.
; )
Those were some quick and helpful responses. I was hoping to get someone to answer my question by the end of the week. This works too.
Grammar with an e? I'm a bad speller, but that's just awful. I'm hoping to get a job as a copy editor after school. I'll have to be more careful.
My Myth will be a day late too -- I'm having seriously tremendous writer's block on this one.
A job I could never ever do, but seriously admire.
I don't have a block, so much as one thing or another has been helping me put it off, and I need at least a day to turn it around as I have someone look at it and help me with editing.
I'm working on it now, and... well, you know how that goes.
; )
http://www.bartleby.com/64/82.html
The short answer is that they're both correct. The impression I got from the way this is worded is that s's is accepted based on how we speak now. Which to me says it probably wasn't meant to be right and probably wasn't right in the near past, but our language evolves.
I always use just s' for what it's worth.
Great question/discusstion... Hope that helps.
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