Apostrophe's Driving Me Crazy!

[lizard]

Hi all,

Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to join a great group! :-D I love to write and spend a lot of time working to improve my writing. One thing that gets the best of me, however, are apostrophes! I have searched online and studied everything I can find. I understand when I am reading, but then find myself confused when I begin writing. I would appreciate any input here that will help me to understand, as well as tell me if I have the apostrophes in the following sentences correct or not. Thanks a lot!

PS...All of the examples below reflect my confusion in understanding the usage of an apostrophe when writing about more than one. But, are the teachers in these sentences considered more than one or just plural form??!!

Granted, teachers' give everything they have.....

Many teachers' work long hours trying to.....

The contract is for the teachers' benefit......

 

[Raymott]

In your web search, did you think of Google?
Apostrophe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Apostrophe Rules
Type in "apostrophe", not "apostrophe's"

Apostrophes Driving Me Crazy!
There's no apostrophe with a simple plural.

Granted, teachers give everything they have.....
There's no apostrophe with a simple plural.

Many teachers work long hours trying to.....
There's no apostrophe with a simple plural.

The contract is for the teachers' benefit......
If there's one teacher, it's "teacher's "
If there's more than one, it's "teachers' "
This is a possessive apostrophe. Whose benefit? The teacher's (or teachers')
If a plural is not possessive, then you don't put an apostrophe.

 

[RonBee]

Granted, teachers' give everything they have.....:cross:

Many teachers' work long hours trying to.....:cross:

The contract is for the teachers' benefit......:tick:

Apostrophes are used for two things--contractions and possessives. In the first two sentences, "teachers" is neither a contraction nor a possessive.

 

[lizard]

Thank you for the replies! I appreciate the help and both posting which provide more insight than what I had found on the net. Thanks so much!

 

[Barb_D]

Hi lizard,
Look up "greengrocer's apostrophe" (found amidst that wiki link, I think, but here's a jump right to it: Apostrophe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) and you'll see you're not alone in your confusion.

 

[Barb_D]

I tried to post a link to a reference about the "greengrocers' apostrophe" but I got an error message. Anyway, google that phrase and you'll see you're not alone -- but now you can be on the way to helping to stamp it out!

Oh - and there is the post that looked like it had gotten lost forever.

 

[RonBee]

Re:
.

In 2009, a resident in Tunbridge Wells was accused of vandalism after he painted apostrophes on road signs which had incorrectly spelt St John's Close as St Johns Close.[53]

​

.
Okay, I admit it. It was me.
;-)

 

[Barb_D]

Let me know if you need bail money!

 

[RonBee]

Let me know if you need bail money!

I'm out on probation.

;-)