Back to basics: quick and easy ways to clear the grammar hurdles; Part 2: apostrophe and colon.

Use an apostrophe to indicate missing letters; use a colon to draw attention to the material immediately after it.

Last time, we discussed the most common use of the apostrophe to show possession. Now let's consider two other functions before moving to the next item in our grammar alphabet, the colon.

USING THE APOSTROPHE FOR CONTRACTIONS

Just put the apostrophe where the missing letters would go.

This one's (one is) easy.

I'll (I will) do it.

It's (it is) time to go.

The only problem people have here is a tendency to confuse contractions with possessive pronouns and adjectives, which do not take an apostrophe.

You're (contraction) late in submitting your (possessive) entry.

It's (contraction) a shame that the dog has lost its (possessive) bone.

You see? Once explained, it's a piece of cake!

USING THE APOSTROPHE FOR PLURALS OF SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS

This is the one use of the apostrophe that has grammarians waging a decorous yet unresolved war. Some cry (quietly), "Keep the apostrophe!" Others shake learned heads, declaring, "It's time for its retreat." Since the trend is to use fewer punctuation marks now than before, we suggest you side with those who tell you to use the apostrophe for plurals in the following cases only:

* To make plurals of lower case letters.

Dot your i's and cross your t's.

* To make plurals of abbreviations or acronyms ending in s.

Do you remember the DOS's on early computers?

* To avoid possible confusion in reading.

The vote counters registered seven no's

In all other cases, such as years, capital letters, numbers, and symbols, simply add s.

The 1990s are over.

She got two As and three Bs.

We ordered five Satellite 530s.

Some companies don't use & s.

C FOR ... COLON

The colon (:) is essentially a pointer. To avoid misuses, simply think of it as a big arrow aimed at what follows. The arrow says: "Look at this: this is the important part."

The important part after the colon may be an example, a quotation, or a list. The list may be incorporated into the paragraph, or it may be displayed; in either case, the colon is required, as shown in the next two examples.

There are two areas that need additional study: (1) the behavior of the material at high temperatures and (2) the influence of humidity.

There are two areas that need additional study:

1. The behavior of the material at high temperatures

2. The influence of humidity

You can also use the colon to connect two sentences, as in this example:

The conclusion is obvious: we must act immediately.

Here, the second sentence or clause spells out the first: namely, it is the conclusion mentioned in the first clause.

The most common problem with the colon is that it tends to be confused with the semicolon (;). Considering how similar they look, this is understandable. However, the semicolon is simply a separator, not a pointer. It cannot be used to introduce lists or indicate causal or other special connections. For instance, suppose the above example were written with a semicolon:

The conclusion is obvious; we must act immediately.

Here, the statements are simply joined with equal weight, without any indication that the second is the conclusion mentioned in the first. In fact, we do not know from this sentence at all what conclusion the writer meant. So, don't be fooled by appearances, but keep your colons and semicolons separate!

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Cheryl and Peter Reimold have been teaching communication skills to engineers, scientists, and businesspeople for 20 years. Their latest book, The Short Road to Great Presentations (Wiley, 2003), is available in bookstores and from Amazon.com. Their consulting firm, PERC Communications (telephone: [phone], e-mail [e-mail]), offers businesses consulting and writing services, as well as customized in-house courses on writing, presentation skills, and on-the-job communication skills. Visit their web site at www.allaboutcommunication.com.

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