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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Clock's ticking

Can someone correct me if I'm wrong.
  • Clock's ticking would mean "the ticking of the clock".
  • "Clock is ticking" would mean "time is running out" or something similar
Surely the apostrophe is wrongly placed on a news headline that says "Clock's ticking as Echo gambles on its options". Seeing this on a major column of a leading daily paper is starting to give me doubts.

http://www.smh.com.au/business/clocks-ticking-as-echo-gambles-on-its-options-20121024-285r2.html
  

Top answer

Anonymous news headline that says "Clock's ticking as Echo gambles on its options" News headlines often omit articles. The full and correct form is The clock's ticking , which means, in this case, The clock is ticking . ) We know this from context.

  • Anonymous news headline that says "Clock's ticking as Echo gambles on its options" News headlines often omit articles.
  • The full and correct form is The clock's ticking , which means, in this case, The clock is ticking .
  • ) We know this from context.
  • In a different context it could mean The ticking of the clock .
  • The clock's ticking is driving me crazy .
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1 Answers
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Anonymousnews headline that says "Clock's ticking as Echo gambles on its options"
News headlines often omit articles. The full and correct form is The clock's ticking, which means, in this case, The clock is ticking. (Time is running out.) We know this from context.

In a different context it could mean The ticking of the clock.

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