The Possessive Apostrophe

The Possessive Apostrophe The Possessive Apostrophe The Possessive Apostrophe By Daniel Scocco Its time to talk about being possessive. Sometimes possessiveness is good, sometimes its bad. However you look at it, if youre speaking English, then you will need an apostrophe to show who owns what. The apostrophe () is one of the most used and misused English punctuation marks. No one is ever quite sure where to put it. You can use it when things are left out (contractions), but its the possessiveness that causes the most trouble. The apostrophe is all about making a statement of ownership. You belong to me. This belongs to that. In grammar speak, the apostrophe shows the possessive of nouns. There are four ways to use the apostrophe to show ownership or belonging. 1. Add apostrophe s to the end of a singular noun that does not end in s: the managers room 2. Add apostrophe s to the end of a singular noun, even if it ends in s (this practice may vary in some places): Doriss scarf 3. Add apostrophe s to the end of a plural noun that doesnt end in s the childrens bag 4. If the plural noun ends in s, just add the apostrophe my friends car Notice that possessive pronouns like yours, his, hers, ours, its and theirs are not followed by the apostrophe. Finally, if you want to play around with it, Wikipedia has a list of four phrases illustrating how the apostrophe can literally change the meaning of sentences. my sisters friends investments (I have one sister and she has one friend.) my sisters friends investments (I have many sisters and they have many friends.) my sisters friends investments (I have many sisters and they have one friend.) my sisters friends investments (I have one sister and she has many friends.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings)Peace of Mind and A Piece of One's Mind20 Clipped Forms and Their Place (If Any) in Formal Writing

Lincoln Surname Meaning and Family History

Lincoln Surname Meaning and Family History The Lincoln last name means  from the lake colony, or one who came from Lincoln, England. The name derives from the Welsh element lynn, meaning lake or pool and the Latin element colonia, meaning colony.   Surname Origin:  English Alternate Surname Spellings: LINCOLNE,  LYNCOLN, LINCCOLNE Fun Facts About the Last Name LINCOLN: Lincoln is a popular given name in America, primarily  given in honor of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), president of the United States during the American Civil War. Famous People with the Surname LINCOLN: Abraham Lincoln - president of the United StatesRobert Todd Lincoln -  American lawyer and secretary of war; first-born son of President Abraham LincolnHenry Lincoln - British author and actorBrad Lincoln - American Major League Baseball pitcherElmo Lincoln - American actor, best known for his role in several Tarzan films Where is the LINCOLN Surname Most Common? According to surname distribution from  Forebears, the Lincoln surname is most prevalent in the United States. It is also somewhat common in England, Australia, Bangladesh, Ghana and Brazil. Surname maps from  WorldNames PublicProfiler  indicate the Lincoln surname in America is most common in the New England states of Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire, as well as in Montana. The highest concentrations of the Lincoln surname, however, are found in New Zealand, especially the Waitomo district, as well as in Tazmania, Australia. Within England, the Lincoln surname is now most commonly found in Norfolk, not Lincolnshire.   Genealogy Resources for the Surname LINCOLN: U.S. Presidential Surnames Their MeaningsDo the surnames of U.S. Presidents really have more prestige than your average Smith and Jones? While the proliferance of babies named Tyler, Madison, and Monroe may seem to point in that direction, Presidential surnames are really just a cross-section of the American melting pot. Lincoln Surname DNA ProjectThe goal of the the Lincoln surname project is to identify and trace as many separate Lincoln lineages as possible, including the progenitors of the Lincolns in America. Lincoln Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Lincoln family crest or coat of arms for the Lincoln surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. LINCOLN Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Lincoln  surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Lincoln query. FamilySearch - LINCOLN GenealogyExplore over 400,000 results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Lincoln  surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. DistantCousin.com - LINCOLN  Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Lincoln. GeneaNet - Lincoln  RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Lincoln  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. The Lincoln  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Lincoln  surname from the website of Genealogy Today.- References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back toGlossary of Surname Meanings Origins