Search results for 'tag:Essays tag:Apostrophes' matching tags 'Essays' and 'Apostrophes'

Apostrophe Grammar Question

Anonymous — Sat, 03 May 2008 09:08:37 GMT

I had a question about apostrophes in conjunction with nonrestrictive modifying elements. I am writing an essay and would like to know if you need to put an apostrophe twice, as in:

"The author fully develops Kate Miller's, the protagonist's, character." -or- is it "The author fully develops Kate Miller's, the protagonist, character"? I would like to think the first choice with 2 apostrophes is correct.

Could someone help me with this?

Thanks

Re: whats wrong with this paragraph???

bernice.farrugia — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:43:31 GMT

(1) We only played one ... and it was four years ago. - You need to use the PAST SIMPLE here because you're talking about something which happened 4 years ago.

(2) ...between his wife and the girls' coach... - you need the apostrophe after 'girls' because it's a possessive

(3) ...he packed his and his wife's bags... - same thing 's for possessive

Bernice

Descriptive/Informative Essay

CodyKJV — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 22:17:20 GMT

My assignment is to type a Descriptive/Informative Essay. I am graded 50% on content, 40% on grammar and mechanics, and 10% on style. Could anyone read my essay and suggest some corrections? Please bold or make corrections visible. The help will be greatly appreciated.

Here are grammatical errors that I do not need to make because everyone counts off 5 points.

-Sentence fragment, comma splices, run on or fused sentences, verbal errors, tense shifts, agreement, diction, punctuation, spelling, possesive case, comma error, misuse of apostrophe and period error.

The Ultimate Fear

            For me there is no question in my mind of what I fear the most. One day He will be the most feared being by all that do not fear Him now. When He comes, the lost will stand before Him and tremble like leaves in the wind. He will come like a thief in the night, when no one is expecting. I fear Him the most because I know He holds great power. What I fear is God Almighty, the creator of the universe and the Lord of my life.
            As a Christian, I fear God because He is my heavenly father. To think about God sends chills down my back. He is the creator of the universe and also the creator of Heaven and Hell. God has always existed. He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Often people cannot comprehend that God has always existed. This is because people live in a world of time. Explaining God to an unbeliever is like explaining a math equation to a dead person. The only way a person can come to believe and fear God is by the Holy Spirit. Fearing God is the beginning of knowledge and truth.
            Like my earthly father, God chastises me when I sin against Him. I remember when I was a little child, I broke my fatherâs garage window. My father came outside

Watters 2

to discover the broken glass. He found me and began to yell, letting me know that I had done wrong. I ran from him, but he finally caught me and gave me the punishment I deserved. My father punished me because of his love for me. This also applies with my heavenly father. When I sin against God, conviction hits me like a truck. I then know that I have done wrong. God will punish me for my sins because of His unexplainable love. Godâs love is far greater than even a motherâs love for her only child. I know that I am the apple of Godâs eye, but I also know that His reprimanding hand will keep me where I need to be in life.   I can run as fast as the speed of light and hide like a word in a crossword puzzle. However, God will find me and give me the punishment for my sins. He has His eye on me like a hawk.
            The fear that unbelievers will face will be tremendous. The lost will stand before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Unbelievers will be on their knees like beggars begging for money. When God came before He showed love, but the next time He comes, He will pour His wrath on all that denied His Holy name. God is love, but because He is love, He is also just. A just God cannot overlook sin. Those who do not believe will not be covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. The lost will stand before a Holy and Righteous God and be naked in sin before His eyes. God will say to the lost, "I never knew ye," and the lost will be cast down in a pit of fire. The pit of fire will be hotter than a burning furnace. The pain will last forever and ever. There is no water in Hell to cool the tongue. To be in Hell is to be absent from all love. This is why people should fear God now. To escape His wrath is to fear Him now.

Watters 3

Ultimately, I fear the wrath of God. I know that this fear will save me from an everlasting Hell when I die. Like a shepherd, God leads and guides me through my life. When I disobey His Word, He uses His staff to pull me back where I need to be in life. The fear of God is unappreciated like an underrated film that does not show in movie theaters. Jesus is the only way, the only truth, and the only light, and no one will enter the gates of Heaven without the fear of God Almighty.

Re: This is so important for me; check please!

Daved — Mon, 25 Dec 2006 09:48:58 GMT

Feebs11 wrote:
Super Sonic wrote:

Hi everyone, I am from Turkey and I have a problem: Yesterday I learned that I got 56 points out of 100 from the writing lesson, which made me sad(I am a university student) The teacher said that my essay wasn't coherent and that MY ENGLISH WAS POOR I have written another cause&effect essay like that one to learn if my English is really that poor. Please be honest and tell me the truth. I won't be sad if you tell me that my English is bad(Well, I will but it is at least better than THINKING that I have a good English) Thanks all in advance.

CAUSES OF HAVING POOR MARKS AT SCHOOL

Studentsâ[you need a simple plural here, not a possessive - delete apostrophe] getting poor grades has always been a problem, both for the parents and for the student himself [ you started with plural students, better to continue with them]. It is a problem, as the studentsâ fate is built mostly on their grades. The causes of this issue could be categorized under three major groups.

The first and most important reason of [for] having poor grades at school is not studying the lesson. Studying is a must for the student to grasp the information given in the lecture. That is why teachers assign homeworks [homework]. Not studying stems from several reasons, one of which is being in an uncomfortable position [could well be, but perhaps you mean "a difficult situation"]at home. I know a lot of people who donât have their own rooms ~~at home~~ [repetition of phrase - delete]. They are forced ~~by the conditions~~ [not really necessary - delete] to study in the living room, where lots of attention-dividing [distracting] items exist. There are also those who donât study, thinking that it actually is not needed. Whatever the reason may be, students who donât study usually get poor marks from exams.

The second serious problem is the lack of communication among [between] the teacher and students. To be able to learn, one needs to ask questions. ~~But, in a threatening environment it is hard to talk about the subject, let alone asking questions~~ [I think this sentence could be deleted]. For example: a friend of mine told me that they were not allowed to speak in the classes, be it about the lecture or something else. He said that even though he studied his lessons, he didnât understand them and that he hesitated to ask to the teacher. I donât know anyone who could be successful in such a situation.

The last reason causing students to get bad grades is having difficulties understanding the lesson. I know a student attending a high school. He gets along perfectly with his mathematics teacher, asks whatever question comes into his mind to him and studies his lessons daily; nonetheless, his marks are nothing but poor. He says that he doesnât understand mathematics at all.

In conclusion, students get bad marks because of such reasons as not [reasons such as not] studying the lessons, having problems with the teacher and having problems with the lesson. But, none [delete unnecessary comma after But] of these hardships should prevent the pupil from trying harder, since his/her future life is made up of these marks [a non-sequitur. Better to say "since his or her future is dependent on passing exams."].

Great!!

So chariness you are, I've learn something too

Re: This is so important for me; check please!

Feebs11 — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 00:03:58 GMT

Super Sonic wrote:
Hi everyone, I am from Turkey and I have a problem: Yesterday I learned that I got 56 points out of 100 from the writing lesson, which made me sad(I am a university student) The teacher said that my essay wasn't coherent and that MY ENGLISH WAS POOR I have written another cause&effect essay like that one to learn if my English is really that poor. Please be honest and tell me the truth. I won't be sad if you tell me that my English is bad(Well, I will but it is at least better than THINKING that I have a good English) Thanks all in advance.

CAUSES OF HAVING POOR MARKS AT SCHOOL

Studentsâ[you need a simple plural here, not a possessive - delete apostrophe] getting poor grades has always been a problem, both for the parents and for the student himself [ you started with plural students, better to continue with them]. It is a problem, as the studentsâ fate is built mostly on their grades. The causes of this issue could be categorized under three major groups.

The first and most important reason of [for] having poor grades at school is not studying the lesson. Studying is a must for the student to grasp the information given in the lecture. That is why teachers assign homeworks [homework]. Not studying stems from several reasons, one of which is being in an uncomfortable position [could well be, but perhaps you mean "a difficult situation"]at home. I know a lot of people who donât have their own rooms ~~at home~~ [repetition of phrase - delete]. They are forced ~~by the conditions~~ [not really necessary - delete] to study in the living room, where lots of attention-dividing [distracting] items exist. There are also those who donât study, thinking that it actually is not needed. Whatever the reason may be, students who donât study usually get poor marks from exams.

The second serious problem is the lack of communication among [between] the teacher and students. To be able to learn, one needs to ask questions. ~~But, in a threatening environment it is hard to talk about the subject, let alone asking questions~~ [I think this sentence could be deleted]. For example: a friend of mine told me that they were not allowed to speak in the classes, be it about the lecture or something else. He said that even though he studied his lessons, he didnât understand them and that he hesitated to ask to the teacher. I donât know anyone who could be successful in such a situation.

The last reason causing students to get bad grades is having difficulties understanding the lesson. I know a student attending a high school. He gets along perfectly with his mathematics teacher, asks whatever question comes into his mind to him and studies his lessons daily; nonetheless, his marks are nothing but poor. He says that he doesnât understand mathematics at all.

In conclusion, students get bad marks because of such reasons as not [reasons such as not] studying the lessons, having problems with the teacher and having problems with the lesson. But, none [delete unnecessary comma after But] of these hardships should prevent the pupil from trying harder, since his/her future life is made up of these marks [a non-sequitur. Better to say "since his or her future is dependent on passing exams."].

Re: Write your opinions about my essay. thanks.

Nick147 — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 02:04:45 GMT

Hello Anon (MN?) and YoHF,

YoHFâs re-draft is excellent, with a very good style. You should try and follow the style and rhythm of the English. In case you look at it too closely, there are a couple of minor errors in it which I show below.

As no-one else has replied to you regarding your original version, I thought I would help and show corrections to your original that donât change the style.

On another thought, you might find you get more replies to your posts if you register with a name!

Cheerio! - Nick

I've studied English for more than 6 years so far, and still I'm not as good as I'd like to be.1 The more I study, the more I notice that it is not such an easy thing to learn a new language. Then again, English is supposed to be quite an easy language to learn, but Spanish or French really go far beyond my natural skill. But even though it will be difficult, I'm not giving up my dreams, at least, not yet. I know perfectly well that sometimes it may be exhausting to try and learn more and more things, yet I'll keep doing it.

What I'm really happy about is that I have the chance to learn those languages, as far as I feel like doing it. In fact, we should all remember that some of us have opportunities that other people may never have, and this is why I'll try and get the most benefit2 possible from my 'privileged' situation.

1. as Iâd like, or as Iâd like to be, are both OK here, they mean the same thing

2. must be singular

With the original essay:

As far as I remember, languages have always interested me in a way or another. [The expression is âin one way or another]â I'm just fascinated [âalreadyâ does not make sense here] [with the thought - another expression] that someday I [will be able- you must use the future tense] to speak 4-5 languages. English was quite a natural language to [start with- if you mean that English was an easy or an obvious choice as a first language to learn].

Now I've been studying English more than 6 years, and still I'm not as good as I would wish [for is not necessary here]. [The] more I have studied, [the] more I have noticed that it really isn't so simple to learn a new language. And English should be easy, but what about Spanish or [French â France is the country] - I have to say that those languages [go â âthose languagesâ is third person plural as in they go] far beyond my skills. But I'm not going to [fail] with my dreams, no, not yet. I know it may be exhausting sometimes to learn more and more, but I [will â the future tense again, as you will be doing the studying in the future] keep going. I have decided to do all [that] it takes.

But [Iâm â missed apostrophe here] happy about the fact that I have a chance to learn languages so much [that] I am [keen or eager to learn- ready to learn would imply that you were just starting to learn]. Everybody[is â âeverybody" is always singular] not blessed with the same opportunity. Among all this happiness and joy, I should remember to use my [privileged â spelling] situation [correctly. â you have to use an adverb here. You can say âuse it rightâ in casual speech but not in writing, as it is not correct English].

Re: personnal essay

WaÃ¯ti — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 19:00:37 GMT

Febrarius,

It so happens that today is my birthday, and that I lived in Rochester NY for 2 years sometime ago... All the more reason for giving a shot at pointing out a couple of things in your essay... But bear in mind that I'm not a native so don't take every suggestion of mine for undisputable truth...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The quality of the loving care given by the parents or their surrogates has a powerful influence on the conditioning of the natural self and its relationship with the conscious self. The loving [I don't think 'loving' can be used as a name so it would have to be either 'loving care' or 'love' here] received by the child is what enables him or her to learn how to love and care for others. As the anthropologist Ashley Montagu observed, we learn how to love by being loved. If the child's needs are met consistently with sensitivity, that child will feel secure and will naturally be trusting of other humans; but if the parents or others abuse or neglect the child, then the child is likely to feel insecure and afraid of other people. Thus gentle living begins with the tender loving care of the parents for the child

Iâve always wondered why my mother lackâs [it has to be 'lacks', and also I would personally prefer : 'doesn't show interest' I think] interest in me. The relationship my mother and I share is not the typical mother-daughter relationship. Our relationship lacks affection and warmth. We have never observe [it has to be 'observed' and I've never heard it used for anything else than a bank holiday so I'd rather say 'celebrated' in this case, I think] each birthdays, mother day, Christmas or any of the holiday that brings the family unit together [maybe 'that brings unity to the family' or 'that brings the family to unite' ?]. As early as I can remember I have felt like an intruder in my mother's [you forgot the apostrophe] life. She has made me feel as if it is my fault my father has cheated on her. Sheâs blamed me for her weight gain, she has even blamed me for her unhappiness.

When I was six years old I over heard [overheard is one single word I believe] my mother saying to my grandmother " I wish I had listen to you and aborted his baby " [missing quotes for the reported speach] . I believe from that day on I began to understand my mother did not care for me she just pretended. My father and mother argue a lot. Some times [all in one word] well into the early hours of the morning you could hear my mother crying, my father always threatening her with leaving her and her kids. My father was not a very good husband or father either. He is still a very selfish man always out for what he can get for himself.

I always told myself that I would not be like my parents. But I now know [I think I would make it 'I know now' though I can't explain why] that some of their ways I have carry [carried] over into my life style. The relationship my daughter and I share is similar to that of my mother and myself. Iâm very standoffish [two words this time : stand-offish] with my daughter (Just like mother is towards me.) I feel my daughter has a follower type personality [I think I'd say 'type of personality'], this type of trait in people often gets them in trouble and my daughter was always begin expel from school. For fighting or skipping school [I'd rephrase the whole thing 'would always end up expelled from school for fighting or skipping classes]

Because my mother always rely on my father to make her happy or worthy, I told my self [promised myself maybe ?] not to rely on some one [someone] else to make me happy or make me feel good about my self [myself]. I believe when my daughter started showing these trait of neediness as I call it, I began to dislike her personality because it reminded me too much of my mother's personal life.

My mother experiences have taught me to be more resilient. I donât rely on my husband or anyone else to make me happy. I pray to God for guidance [I have remove the apostrophe 's] because I have learned that only God can make me happy. I donât need another individual to make me feel worthy. My mother lacks strength and thatâs one of the traits that I expect out of [I'd say 'from people'] people I want in my life. Thatâs another reason why I have chosen not to deal with my mother on a more intimate level. Having a weak personality has not a thing to due [I believe you meant 'not a thing to do'] with genetics or biology, [I'd add something right here to link the 2 parts of the sentence, like 'since' or 'and this is because'] moral characters are taught. And I know that my mother was taught to be weak. My mother never met her real father but my grandmother had told me that my grand father had taken his owe ['own' right ?] life because he could not deal with the demands his family put on him. And just like her father and mother my mother had try [should be 'tried'] to take her owe [own] life.

Maybe I may have some of the selfishness my fathers has, but I believe in self preservation and I believe because my mother exhibited this weak character early on in their relationship my father began to resent her for it. And in all fairness to the woman who gave birth to me. I have this to say.

In my quest for the answer as to why my mother does not care for me in a loving way, Iâve learned to except [I think you meant 'accept'] that she is an imperfect human and as an imperfect human she has no control over whom her imperfect heart chooses to love.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I have to say this is a very sad story and forgive me for asking but is this the story of your own life ? You don't have to answer that part and forgive me for my intrusiveness and curiosity...
Kindly, WaÃ¯ti.

Re: I am rusty after 25 years. I need essay(argument) correction

Mister Micawber — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 14:36:00 GMT

This is generally fine. There are a few things that need repair:

learning it (comma)
gang related (hyphen)
hips allowing (comma)
shirt and (comma)
where the focus is (delete all except 'focus')
News âA (punctuate or restructure the clause)
comment, (no comma here or at the other end)
show (shows)
styles that accentuates
code there (comma)
child sense
Parents would find most parents (huh??)
the cage with a lion (a lion's cage)
means, to (no comma)
decisions, about (no comma)
decisions of (on)
by ways of
students choice (apostrophe)
based own
on by studying
what is issue (a misquote?)
if the decision of what to wear to school was cut (were)
Stated on BlueSuitMom.com... (this sentence is not a sentence)
peer approved (hyphen)
defiantly (wrong word)
out weigh (one word)
in who has the best clothes (of who-- and add a comma)
be able to focus (delete all except 'focus')
students (apostrophe)
TheEducation
Beach California comma)
uniforms since (semicolon)
percent; (comma)

Re: Book review essay (proof reading)

MrPedantic — Sat, 22 Jan 2005 00:39:13 GMT

Hello s/h

Having read a number of books in my time. ] This clause doesn't make a sentence on its own.

none have accomplished ] Some examiners would expect 'none has' here.

The tale is written in the first-person narrative] 'narrative' is unnecessary.

an ordinary girl placed under extraordinary circumstances and how she hides behind an overweight, confused and pessimistic persona.] placed under + hides behind?

Many surprises are in store for the readers of this book.] 'the readers'?

The main surprise being the authors sex.] Insert main verb and apostrophe.

managed to amount into] Look up 'amount' as verb.

emotionally scarred, having bid her childhood farewell. ] A slight sense of 'non sequitur' here.

After the rape caused by the man she admired, ] rape isn't 'caused' - rephrase.

she begins to slowly shut herself ] split infinitive â some examiners will dislike this.

attempts to provide the temporary relief for her daughter, food.] This phrasing isn't idiomatic.

Thus beginning the gradual decline of Dolores Price. ] A participle isn't a sufficient verb for a sentence.

with little obesity issues, ] Check use of 'little' in your grammar book.

I always thought of it as a lewd act of self-indulgence ] Avoid 'lewd'...

to get so tremendous.] This is a wonderful phrase, but will be mistaken for a mistake. I'm afraid you probably have to say 'tremendously fat'.

This book played a major role in broadening my narrow-minded view] Check tense of verb.

of the over weight community.] Check over weight.

In the high school I am] relative adverb?

there enrolls an obese student ] rephrase without 'there'.

who is way too ] This is slangy.

It seemed] Tense?

larger than life personality was made ] Not the right verb.

struggling hefty boy within.] A fat boy with a hefty boy within? And struggling with - ?

As I regard it,] Not idiomatic.

No matter how infuriating and obnoxious she was portrayed, ] Check sense here.

depressing to observe,] check verb.

there was always a part of me that kept rooting for her. Her will was admirable, but her courage, remarkable. ] You're mixing two registers here.

MrP

Re: 2 questions

Mister Micawber — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 12:08:55 GMT

Question I:

Number (2) has too many 'what's, and 'gonna' is unacceptable except in slovenly spoken language.

Number (3) would only be useful in limited contexts: 'you never know what happens next until after you've seen the movie'.

(1) and (4) are fine are fine for general use, as is (2a) 'You never know what's going to happen next.'

You can use any of these latter three in essentially the same situations, and no one will notice your choice. The 'what' clauses all refer to the future.

Question II:

It is difficult to use an apostrophe when you are saying anything. In the written language, you can only contract 'killing' to 'killin' ' when you are writing a novel (or otherwise displaying dialogue) and the characters are speaking casually:

'Wha'tchy'all doin'?'
'B'lin' up a cuppa'
'Min' effen I j'in yerz?'
'Naw, mate. Gotta mug?'

It cannot be done in any sort of formal writing-- essays, business letters, or in asking questions here-- but you are free to use the form in personal letters.