Gransnet forums

Ask a gran

I need the apostrophe police

(9 Posts)
minxie Fri 15-Jun-18 08:54:34

Hi,
If I’m ordering a personalised gift to read

Debbie’s glass / Debbies glass
Which way should it be
Should it be with the apostrophe because it’s after a noun, or just Debbies as it’s hers
Thanks

silverlining48 Fri 15-Jun-18 09:00:16

With the apostrophe debbie’s

mcem Fri 15-Jun-18 09:10:02

Not to do with being 'after a noun'.
It's Debbie's glass because the glass belongs to Debbie (possessive).

MawBroon Fri 15-Jun-18 09:12:47

Wot mcem says .
“Of Debbie” so Debbie’s

silverlining48 Fri 15-Jun-18 09:30:15

If there were lots of Debbie’s all getting glasses it would be debbies’ glasses. smile

Elegran Fri 15-Jun-18 09:41:41

If it is about something belonging to Debbie, there IS an apostrophe. If you don't put an apostrophe it means that all Debbies glass people in pub brawls (attack them with a broken glass). I do hope that none of the Debbies I know are like that.

The apostrophe originally used to stand in for missed out letters in shortened versions of words run together - as in don't (do not) isn't (is not) it's (it is). A rule of thumb is to imagine it as "Debbie hers" shortened.

But strangely, where "its" is used in things like "My car is due for its MOT" there is NO apostrophe, probably because it's the whole possessive pronoun and not being shortened.

minxie Fri 15-Jun-18 09:51:45

Thank you Ladies

Greyduster Fri 15-Jun-18 10:07:39

The way that Elegran describes it is just as I described it to my GS; Debbie hers, Michael his.

sodapop Fri 15-Jun-18 13:18:44

What mcem said.