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Guest Posted 23 years ago
Grammar
Apostrophe
I need help in placing the apostrophe in these instances:
owner's manual
attorney's eyes only
nurse's notes
What happens in instances where a singular noun is spoken, but the plural is meant?
owner's manual
attorney's eyes only
nurse's notes
What happens in instances where a singular noun is spoken, but the plural is meant?
Top answer
In speech, the context will supply the meaning. If the person to whom you are speaking doesn't know if there is more than one owner/attorney/nurse, then you have to tell him explicitly. In writing you have less knowledge of the reader, so you have to indicate with the punctuation.
- In speech, the context will supply the meaning.
- If the person to whom you are speaking doesn't know if there is more than one owner/attorney/nurse, then you have to tell him explicitly.
- In writing you have less knowledge of the reader, so you have to indicate with the punctuation.
- Having said that, I'd like to point out that in some cases the context makes it obvious.
- For instance, a car is considered to belong exclusively (or primarily) to one person - each manual is for one owner of one car, so it's an owner's manual.
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2 Answers
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In speech, the context will supply the meaning. If the person to whom you are speaking doesn't know if there is more than one owner/attorney/nurse, then you have to tell him explicitly.
In writing you have less knowledge of the reader, so you have to indicate with the punctuation.
Having said that, I'd like to point out that in some cases the context makes it obvious. For ins
In writing you have less knowledge of the reader, so you have to indicate with the punctuation.
Having said that, I'd like to point out that in some cases the context makes it obvious. For ins
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