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Guest Posted 22 years ago
Grammar

Please help II

UMD junior xyz scooped up the steaming pot pie and served it to the many homeless people waiting in line.

Why isn't it: UMD's junior xyz scooped up the steaming pot pie and served it to the many homeless people waiting in line.

That student xyz belongs to UMD college then why isn't an apostrophe used there?

Please help me.

Thanks.
  

Top answer

Both sentences are correct, but there is a very slight meaning difference about who is most responsible for the action, and I do mean very slight. Without the apostrophe, junior xyz is taking full credit for his action. With the apostrophe, the school is taking some credit for the action, because in that sentence, it seems that the apostrophe is added to emphasize which school the student is from; it's no longer the act of an individual, as he is now being associated with the school.

— DiamondKite

  • Both sentences are correct, but there is a very slight meaning difference about who is most responsible for the action, and I do mean very slight.
  • Without the apostrophe, junior xyz is taking full credit for his action.
  • With the apostrophe, the school is taking some credit for the action, because in that sentence, it seems that the apostrophe is added to emphasize which school the student is from; it's no longer the act of an individual, as he is now being associated with the school.
  • I hope that makes sense.
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1 Answers
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Both sentences are correct, but there is a very slight meaning difference about who is most responsible for the action, and I do mean very slight.

Without the apostrophe, junior xyz is taking full credit for his action.

With the apostrophe, the school is taking some credit for the action, because in that sentence, it seems that the apostrophe is added to emphasize which school
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