Mekita Rivas, SNR communications associate, publishes a biweekly feature called "Grammar Guru."
Every other week, the Grammar Guru will share writing tips to help make your work as polished as possible. Some of these tips may address common spelling errors, while others will examine the many nuances of the English language.
Grammar Guru Tip #51
Most possessive nouns will have an apostrophe, but where you put that apostrophe can be confusing. A few general rules to follow:
If the noun is plural, add the apostrophe after the "s."
If the noun is singular and ends in s, you should also put the apostrophe after the "s."
If the noun is singular and doesn't end in an "s," you'll add the apostrophe before the "s."
Example:
The girls' toys are all over the floor. The dress' hem is too short. The tailor's shop is closed.
Need some grammar guidance? The UNL Style Guide (http://unlcms.unl.edu/ucomm/styleguide/) is a great resource for all university employees. If you have writing questions that the style guide doesn't answer, feel free to email the Grammar Guru at mrivas@unl.edu.