Appositives and Possessives

Appositives and Possessives Appositives and Possessives Appositives and Possessives By Jacquelyn Landis Are you planning to go to a writers conference? Or is it a writers’ conference? Is the Saturday market in the town square a farmers market or a farmers’ market? This is a construction that often perplexes writers. The first instance in each example is an appositive: a noun phrase consisting of a plural noun that modifies another noun that follows it. The form with the apostrophe is a possessive, a noun that â€Å"owns† the noun that follows it. So if the conference is one that is organized for writers, it’s an appositive. But if it’s a conference organized by writers- one that belongs to them- it’s a possessive. Likewise, if it’s a market for farmers, the proper construction would be the appositive farmers; a market owned by the farmers would be the possessive farmers’. The trouble with such noun phrases is that they frequently are ambiguous. Lacking insider knowledge, you’re often left to guess whether it’s an appositive or a possessive. Furthermore, there are plenty of commonly accepted constructions that defy appropriate construction. Children’s Hospital is a case in point. Clearly, the children don’t own the hospital; it’s a hospital for children. But you’ll see the possessive apostrophe on just about every such hospital in the country. One in San Diego seems to be aware of the problem and has hedged its bet. Instead of an apostrophe in its logo, a blue kite with a tail occupies the apostrophe slot. You can choose to read it as an apostrophe or simply view it as a decoration. An example of an entity that got it right is Publishers Weekly. This is a publication for the publishing industry, not owned by it. The key is to do your best to determine possession (or not) and punctuate accordingly. So if it’s the boys football team, it’s an appositive. But if it’s the boys’ football uniforms, it’s a possessive. 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:English Grammar 101: All You Need to Know7 Patterns of Sentence StructureWhat the heck are "learnings"?

Homeless vote essays

Homeless vote essays Los Angeles social advocates, who were the first in the nation to submit homeless shelters as polling place, are working to increase the numbers of homeless and low-income voter who vote. They hope to register 5000 new voters and plan extensive voter education and mobilization drives before Nov. 2. In California, several ballot initiatives are particularly compelling to homeless and low-income individuals. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, voter registration drives show that about 60% of homeless people identify themselves as Democrats, 20% as Republicans and 20% as independents. The overall number of homeless people appears to be growing. Census data from 2000 show that homeless and low-income individuals are the least likely to register to vote and the least likely to turn out at the polls, but they are surprisingly well informed about local, national and even international events. Los Angeles registration drives have been a model for other cities for concentrated homeless population. Homeless people have the right to vote, and hope to register hundreds of them for this year's elections, to make sure their voices are heard on social issues and to encourage them to participate actively in society. As an example of how homeless people could make a difference by voting, 2000 Florida presidential election results, in which W. Bush beat Al Gore by only 537 votes to win the presidency. By exercising their right to vote, it makes them feel like they are part of a community, whether they are living at the LAX or one of the downtown bridges. ...