English question

**Somebody Else** · 03-13-2006, 11:26

To me, it's " 's " , even if the word ends in "s". Unless it's a plural, in which case it ends in " ' ".

Jesus's cross: The disciples' teacher's cross.

**Avicenna** · 03-13-2006, 15:05

One very common misuse of the apostrophe is in it's.

It's = it is
It's =/= the possession of it

If it owns a pencil, it is its pencil.

Don't ask me why, but this is a peculiar rule in the language.

**L'Impresario** · 03-13-2006, 15:12

It's = it is
It's =/= the possession of it

If it owns a pencil, it is its pencil.

Don't ask me why, but this is a peculiar rule in the language.

Nothing of any peculiarity;)
"Its" is a possesive pronoun, not a noun. Maybe in a century or so, pronouns will get their "'s" divided, but then there would be an identification problem with the "'s" clitic as in "he's" (is/has).

**Big King Sanctaphrax** · 03-13-2006, 20:18

Originally Posted by Somebody Else

To me, it's " 's " , even if the word ends in "s". Unless it's a plural, in which case it ends in " ' ".

Jesus's cross: The disciples' teacher's cross.

This is the way I do it.

I hope no-one asks about semi-colons...