Care and Feeding of Apostrophes
My twelfth lens, The Care and Feeding of Apostrophes, is one of my favorites. I published it 6-6-07.
What This Lens is About
A funny (I hope) guide on how to use apostrophes correctly.
Excerpt
If you’re talking about joint ownership, put the ‘s after the last owner:
Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
But if you’re talking about separate ownership, then each owner gets his own ‘s:
Bill’s and Ted’s underwear (They’re not wearing the same pair of underwear.)
Why I Made This Lens
I have a bizarre and abiding affection for apostrophes, and I hate to see them abused and misused.
Things I Learned Making This Lens
It’s really hard to make grammar lenses funny. Brevity is key.
A printable cheat sheet / summary is very useful for many kinds of lenses. Clickouts boost lensrank!
Things I DIDN’T Learn Making This Lens
The lens is a little too long. I probably should’ve put the quiz nearer to the beginning.
Lens Stats and Milestones
As of today: Lensrank #8,644, 15 ratings, 12 favorites, 5032 lifetime visitors.
Best lensrank achieved: #302. Lifetime earnings: $65.36.