Talking of apostrophes

[lankeela]

How would you write the phrase

below is an article on the puppy's development' or is it puppies development, or puppies' development? There is more than one puppy!

[joggerjayne]

Who lead the Pedants' Revolt ?

Which Tyler.

[Calibax]

I think if you're talking about puppies in general then "a puppy's development" is acceptable but not "the puppy's development"

[mike11111]

Very funny! Haven't heard it before but you'd have to give a detailed explanation to most people under 50.

[Calibax]

Except (being pedantic!) it should be Who "led" the Pedants' Revolt ?

[joggerjayne]

I don't know if I agree with that, Calibax.

I think reference to the entirety of an animal group uses the definite article.

For instance:

"The" tiger is endangered.

Well, ALL tigers are endangered, aren't they?

[Count-A-Strong]

Heard a whisper about a leaking oil well today but it was just a viscous rumour.

[joggerjayne]

Oddly enough, Calibax, I typed "led" and then changed it.

I wasn't sure.

[joggerjayne]

I must revise my past participles.

ps. LOL CAS

[mike11111]

Count, you are debasing a serious and learned discussion here. Who knows, Molly might come on and ask our opinions on this self-same subject, and I would like to think that we could deliver a definitive answer more quickly than we have been able to resolve the dilemma of her father's Xmas present.

[Calibax]

Actually JJ you could be right. In your example one could talk of "the tiger's plight" meaning all tigers.

[joggerjayne]

And you were right about "led" Calibax.

And with that ... I'm going to "bead"

LOL

Night, guys x

[mike11111]

With the retirement of jj, looks like this thread has come to a full stop.

[tearinghair]

Thank you for the dotty suggestions (in the grammatical sense). I shall sit down with Fowler tomorrow.

[jno]

three dots is common for an ellipsis, but use as many as you want, there's no law.... [The last one there was a full stop.] Harold Pinter (a playwright famous for the long pauses between his lines of dialogue) once told an actor: 'You're only pausing for two dots; I think if you look at the script you'll find it's three.'

[don1982]

the rule on apostophes to show possession is - "it always follows the plural of the word" so = chidren's, ladies', etc

[joggerjayne]

That sounds sensible.

[robgrant]

Puppies' is the possessive. Use it when describing something belonging to puppies such as development. Puppies is the plural, used to describe more than one puppy.

[robgrant]

Puppies' is the possessive for more than one puppy. Puppy's would be the possessive for only one puppy.