[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Correct Grammar (was Open Email to Yahoo Feedback/Try Yahoo Investor Relatio

[Dina Lerret]

On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 15:57:11 -0000, annemehr <annemehr at yahoo.com> wrote:

> > SSSusan:
> > Now, where I need guidance is in whether to put the comma before or
> > after the * if I'm emphasising a word by that technique.  So, if I'm
> > saying, "But I think in terms of teaching Harry, Snape is
> > **terrible**..." do I put the comma before or after those two **?
> > :-)
> 
> Figuring the convention ought to be analogous to punctuation rules for
> quotation marks, I always put the comma inside the asterisks.

I'm going with Canadian English logic: put the comma outside the asterisk.


> Now, who can tell me the convention(s) for using apostrophe-s or
> apostrophe alone in possessive forms of words ending in S?  Does it
> make a difference if it's a singular name like Sirius as opposed to a
> plural word like students?  Is it "Sirius's," but "students'?"

Your English instructor's preference. {g}  It's intended as humourous
but there's an underlying truth to the comment.  We're taught under
different 'schools of thought'.  Personally, I drop the second S. 
Heh, I'm reminded of an icon with the word, "dumbass" (note the
Canadian English logic again with the comma being shoved to the back),
and then 'uh oh, we need an apostrophe stat' to end with "dumbas's"

Dina