Usage of apostrophe

Question

Can anyone tell me whether the usage of apostrophe is nowadays omitted? As in whether this is correct "The metals extraction was carried out", which according to me should be rewritten as either "The metal's extraction...." or "The metals' extraction...." depending on whether there is one or more metal involved. Also can anyone tell me how one can depict possession in case of acronyms because an apostrophe symbol with "s" as well as usage of simply just an "s" implies plurality in case of acronym, as in "late 1950's or 1950s"?

Regards,

Lovely

Ivanhr · Accepted Answer

Metal extraction just like water distillation/purification/desalinization etc is a process whereby metal gets extracted (from the ore) (or water gets distilled/purified etc). Even if you're referring to one instance of such a process you'd still use this construction (without the apostrophe).

In my opinion this structure is quite similar to "letter writing" where "letter" is certainly not a possessive.

I'm not really sure about your second question.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank u for the reply. but that was jus an example. i actually meant to ask that whether an "s" is added without the prime symbol (') before or after the "s" (depending on whether it a singular or plural noun)? cos  as far as i know the whole idea behind possesion is the omission of "of" as in the same e.g. "the metals' extraction" after an elaboration should be "the extraction of metals" so to put it in the former form the apostrophe is used right? i am an editor.. n people at work are confusing me sayin that apostrophe can be omitted as jus an "s" implies the same.. that cannot be right? right!!

Ivanhr · Answer

Anonymouspeople at work are confusing me sayin that apostrophe can be omitted as jus an "s" implies the same.. that cannot be right? right!!

Yes, I agree with you, the presence of an "s" at the end of words doesn't imply a possessive.

Note, however, that not every phrase with "of" denotes possession.

BarbaraPA · Answer

AnonymousAlso can anyone tell me how one can depict possession in case of acronyms because an apostrophe symbol with "s" as well as usage of simply just an "s" implies plurality in case of acronym, as in "late 1950's or 1950s"?

1950 was a single year. This was the best selling song of 1950. It was 1950's best selling song. Here the ' means "of 1950."

The 1950s (no ') refers to a decade. You can also say "the early 1950s" to refer to 1951, 1952, and 1953.

Let's say there was a sports team that won the championship all three years. They were the dominant team of the early 1950s. The early 1950s' superpower team, the Geeks, soon fell to oblivion when for of their starting players left to form a barbershop quartet. Here the ' means "of the early 1950s."

Usage of apostrophe

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