You know how there's always some little nugget of grammar that eludes you? Well for me, it was the proper use of apostrophes. I can do the apostrophes that denote missed letters as in "It's a nice day," but apostrophes used to denote ownership gave me the heeby jeebies. I am vaguely aware that putting the apostrophe in one place meant the thing had one owner and putting it in another spot could denote a thing had several owners but was never clear on which was which. Well last night, now in the middle of my 40s, I read this gorgeous little book and it's all crystal clear.
Grammar perfectionist Lynne Truss demonstrates the correct use of apostrophes. Clearly, and aided by the lovely humourous illustrations by Bonnie Timmons, she shows how much difference the placement of an apostrophe can make to the meaning of a sentence, eg. "We're here to help you" compared with "Were here to help you".
Also by this author for children : Eat, shoots and leaves : Why, commas really do make a difference. And for adults, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation and Talk to the Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door.
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