Apostrophe help....

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Citti

#124552 Sat, 06 Aug 05 07:48 PM

The employees' worked long hours. <<<<<< Is this correct?

Citti

Joined on Sat, Aug 6 2005

New Member (01)

Apostrophes

nona the brit

#124634 Sun, 07 Aug 05 08:13 AM

You don't need any apostrophe in this sentence. Employees is the plural of employee. Plurals do not need apostrophes just because they are plurals.

An apostrophe is used to show the possessive. The employees do not own 'worked long hours'. So,

The employees worked long hours.

nona the brit

Joined on Wed, Sep 22 2004

England

Veteran Member (11,450)

The name says it all.

Plurals, Possessives, Apostrophes

Eimai_Anglos

#124690 Sun, 07 Aug 05 01:47 PM

Exception:

Apostrophes are used to indicate an abbreviation.

"It is going to lose its loose wheel". = "It's going to lose its loose wheel".

Note that you MUST NOT put an apostrophe in the possessive pronouns "its, his, her, their, our, your".

It's = "it is" or "it has".

"It's lost its wheel".
"It's losing its wheel".