A Short American Grammar Reminder
Using apostrophes in contractions
In English, anyway, we create contractions when we join two words and then leave one or more letters out of the final word, right?
For instance, have not = haven't, did not = didn't, could have = could've, I will = I'll, he is = he's, it is = it's, it has = it's
We can't just leave letters out; the resulting group of letters might not make a real word or they might still make one, just not the one you intended!
For example, I'll is a word, but so is Ill or ill. The apostrophe shows us what is really meant.
What's even more important here today, though, is noticing where the apostrophe is placed: It always goes where the original letters were. In the exact spot. Nowhere else.
And even when we're making a contraction of a decade, which involves numbers and not letters, we still need to use the same principle:聽The apostrophe must go where the numbers we removed used to be. Yes. Really!
So back in the 1980s would be the '80s. Why? Well, we took out the 19, right? The apostrophe is used to show that something in the original form is missing, and it MUST go where the missing stuff was. Think of it as a placeholder ... in case the 19 wants to come back. :-)
In the 1870s or 1970s = in the '70s (be careful about context here)
And there's no apostrophe when we form the plural: it's the 1980s.
Got it?
Awesome!
Yes, that's my license plate.
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Comments
Susan 馃悵 Rooks, The Grammar Goddess
6 years ago#6
What the heck, Phil Friedman? That's funny! Thanks so much!
Susan 馃悵 Rooks, The Grammar Goddess
6 years ago#5
I have written several on that, Phil Friedman ... ;-)
Susan 馃悵 Rooks, The Grammar Goddess
6 years ago#4
Right where they belong, Randall Burns! :-)
Randall Burns
6 years ago#3
LMAO!!! I stand corrected!
Randall Burns
6 years ago#2
Ken Boddie
6 years ago#1