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Subject:RE: Rule about not using possessive? From:Hal Wrobel <hal -dot- wrobel -at- sapportals -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 5 Jul 2001 07:03:58 -0700
In addition to the reasons already presented regarding anthropomorphisms,
contractions, and genitives, there are also localization issues. English is
the only language to use the apostrophe to show possession. To readers for
whom English is not the primary language, this might become a source of
possible confusion, especially in combination with other possible "...'s"
contractions in the same document.
Since there is nothing wrong with using a noun modifier, like the "Word
templates", the "spelling checker dictionary", or "keyboard plug", you'll
find that the "...'s" can comfortably be avoided most of the time.
If avoiding the "...'s" makes my sentence awkward, I just use it. In most
cases, clarity is not an issue if the apostrophe is not overused.
Hal Wrobel
SAP Portals
+972-9-7430940 Ext:187 mailto:hal -dot- wrobel -at- sapportals -dot- com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Elizabeth Estep [mailto:EEstep -at- mrisystem -dot- com]
> Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2001 4:09 PM
> To: TECHWR-L
> Subject: Rule about not using possessive?
>
>
> I questioned a change my editor had made, and now she's
> questioning herself.
> She swears that at some point she learned that possessives
> are inappropriate
> in technical writing, but now she can neither remember the
> logic behind this
> "rule" nor find a source for it.
>
> So, has anyone else out there every been exposed to this rule
> and, if so,
> can you explain the reasoning? Thanks for your help.
>
> Elizabeth Estep
> MRI-Documentation
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