Apostrophe Question

[Katerina Val-Kyrie]

Which sentence forms are correct?


Tingling with excitement, I entered Angels Paradise. It was a renowned strip club and its foyer was elegant.


Tingling with excitement, I entered Angel's Paradise. It was a renowned strip club and its foyer was elegant.


Tingling with excitement, I entered Angels' Paradise. It was a renowned strip club and its foyer was elegant.


And this sentence as well...


Although it was dim, I could see my image in the mirrors reflection.


Although it was dim, I could see my image in the mirror's reflection.


Although it was dim, I could see my image in the mirrors' reflection.


Thanks Katerina

 

[Guest]

Tingling with excitement, I entered Angel's Paradise. It was a renowned strip club and its foyer was elegant.
This if Angel is singular. Angels' if plural.

Although it was dim, I could see my image in the mirror's reflection.
Same thing, mirrors' = more than one mirror.

Perdita

 

[NoJo]

You'll get lot's of answers' to this one. Its confusing sometimes.

My answer

"Angels Paradise" is a name of a club. Put whatever you think the name of the club is."

Ownership apostrophes go after the word if plural.

My cats' paws (many cats)
My cat's paws (one cat)

 

[Guest]

Its confusing sometimes.

You are making it confusing, Mr. Smartypants. I don't think the query was about names, but about grammar. If I owned a club and paid for a big neon sign I'd shell out for the apsotrophe.

P.

 

[Katerina Val-Kyrie]

Hmmm...

It's interesting. I write in word and it doesn't alert me to change either word with or without apostrophes.

I was unsure of how to write Angels Paradise, because it is a name of a club. And, angels is pertaining to lots, more then one. I went as far as to look up strip clubs on the internet. I found listings of all the stip clubs in major cites.

I was more confused afterward. *LOL* Some clubs that were plural, still had no apostrophe. So, what is the right answer?

Anyway....I'm going to put in the paragraphs in question. *S* See if it makes anymore sense...

Tingling with excitement, I entered Angels Paradise. It was a renowned strip club and its foyer was elegant. Filled with red roses, it almost took my breath away. I love roses and these were beautifully displayed, their lush petals accented by the lights soft glow. I hesitated, took a moment to enjoy them, a moment to collect myself as I breathed in their heavenly scent.

Next ones...

The mirrors were impressive. They covered the walls, reflecting images in a haze of swirling smoke. Embers glowed, their fiery tips deepening with cigarettes inhaled. The smell was strong even with fans overhead. I felt their breeze as the blades whirled, the hum lost amidst the noise.

Cheering filled the club as I found an empty chair to the far right of the stage. I felt less conspicuous and liked it that way. Although it was dim, I could see my image in the mirrors reflection. My face held a look of innocence, and I smiled in spite of my nervousness. I knew better.

By the way, Dancing Angel is already up and running. I'm just doing a few revisions and I'll be resubmitting, yet again. *S*
You can find the link in the feedback section, if you wanna read on...


There you have it! kat

 

[Pure]

Val,

Although it was dim, I could see my image in the mirror's reflection.

This has correct apostrophe, but the sentence is odd, if not defective. What is 'it'; is it indeterminate as in 'it was raining'? Do mirrors have reflections?


With difficulty, I could see my image dimly reflected in the mirror.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Because there were more than one, mirrors' is correct. In the lights' soft glow is also correct, assuming there was more than one light. As for the name, if it means a paradise for angels, then Angels' Paradise. If the owner is named Angel, and the name is intended to reflect this, such as Joe's Bar or John's Coffe Shop, then Angel's is correct.

Pure is right about the reflection. It would probably be better to say "reflected in the mirrors", or similar wording.

 

[tiger_smurf]

First of all, I think the word "it" is making too many appearances in your sentences.

"Tingling with excitement, I entered Angel's Paradise. It was a renowned strip club and its foyer was elegant."

I know you asked about apostrophes, but you do need another comma in that sentence if you want it to be 100% correct. Every time you join two independant clauses in the same sentence you have to seperate them with a comma. The sentence should read:

Tingling with excitement, I entered Angel's Paradise. It was a renowned strip club, and its foyer was elegant.

although, I'd change it to:

Tingling with excitement, I entered Angel's Paradise, a renowned strip club with an elegant foyer.

-ck

 

[gauchecritic]

If we're gonna be technical then 'angels' can be a descriptive and used without apostrophe at all.

Will the owner of a strip club be all that concerned?

And a mirror gives a reflection and is therefore technically in ownership of same. Which would mean using apostrophes.

If I'm stuck with apostrophes I think of the Joneses. They're plural. Their car is singular and is the Jones's car. (actually it can be the Joneses' car but that doesn't help at all.)

Gauche

 

[tiger_smurf]

"If I'm stuck with apostrophes I think of the Joneses. They're plural. Their car is singular and is the Jones's car. (actually it can be the Joneses' car but that doesn't help at all.)"

wouldn't it be Jones'? Assuming that their last name is Jones and not Joneses. Joneses' is just way awkward.

-ck

(could someone tell me how to do the quotey thing?)

 

[Guest]

TS, you're right. When singular or plural nouns end with 'S' the final 'S' is dropped after the apostrophe.

The dress' button is coming loose. (One dress has a button.)
The Smiths' lawn needs cutting. (More than one Smith has a lawn.)

Re. the quotey thing (you can be so cute), just hit the "quote" button below a post (it's next to the "edit" button) and the quote will be shown in the reposte box. You can cut a quote down, but leave the html codes in place, esp. the ending ones that have the "/".

Perdita

EDITED to add this APS

 

[tiger_smurf]

Re. the quotey thing (you can be so cute), just hit the "quote" button below a post (it's next to the "edit" button) and the quote will be shown in the reposte box. You can cut a quote down, but leave the html codes in place, esp. the ending ones that have the "/".

Perdita

Did I do it right? Let's find out...

 

[gauchecritic]

"If I'm stuck with apostrophes I think of the Joneses. They're plural. Their car is singular and is the Jones's car. (actually it can be the Joneses' car but that doesn't help at all.)"

wouldn't it be Jones'? Assuming that their last name is Jones and not Joneses. Joneses' is just way awkward.

-ck

Yes it is the Jones' car but I'd assumed that no s after the apostrophe had already been belaboured. I was trying to point out that even though we say Joneses car it's actually Jones's car but there isn't an S after an S. It's always mis-pronounced Joneses but it's because Jones' neither looks nor sounds right. So therefore, we say Joneses' which is technically Joneseses when we mean Jones' ( which sounds like Joan's) sheesh.

Gauche

 

[Katerina Val-Kyrie]

Thanks

Hey fellow lit members...thanks so much for taking the time to respond to my post. I really, truly appreciate it.

I've decided to use the sentence changes that were offered as they read better then mind did. Sometimes it just takes fresh eyes to make one see something they couldn't see before.

As for Angels being with or without an apostrophe, I'm still not sure. If I word it like Tiger Smurf suggested it would read...

Tingling with excitement, I entered Angels' Paradise, a renowned strip club with an elegant foyer.

Or, according to gauchecritic, Angels can be used as a descriptive with no apostrophe

Tingling with excitement, I entered Angels Paradise, a renowned strip club with an elegant foyer.

So, I'm still not sure which to use...Maybe, it really doesn't matter.

Pure, thanks for the fresh eyes. Your sentence reads much better. (With difficulty, I could see my image dimly reflected in the mirror) I'll use it for sure. And, I'll have to be more wary of the word, it. Thanks for pointing that out.

Oh, Boxlicker101, there is definately more than one angel. The darling little angels are the strippers. Hence, Angels Paradise. Or, Angels' Paradise. Whichever I decide, when I decide, if I decide. Hell, after two years of playing with this story, I should decide! *G I already have the story posted, but wanted to change a few things....and here I am...

Damn, I had to edit this silly post. I think I need bi-focals soon. The letters are so bleepin small. Anywho, my word... Thanks guys. I've never come on Lit with grammar questions before. You're a responsive bunch, and I'm thankful to all of you.

Please, if anyone wants to read Angel in the feedback section, I'd be honored to hear anymore suggestions. I'm revising now....so this is the time!

Thanks again,

Kat

 

[Katerina Val-Kyrie]

Back Again

I have another question besides the still questionable is it Angels Paradise? Or is it Angels' Paradise? (lotza angels)(Not one) Still wondering if apostrophes are warrented in a club name...

On with my rambling...

Pure asks, do mirrors have reflections?

gauchecritic states, And a mirror gives a reflection...

So, with that said, which sentence sounds better?

The mirrors were impressive. They covered the walls, reflecting images in a haze of swirling smoke.

Or this one...

The mirrors were impressive. They covered the walls with images reflected in a haze of swirling smoke.

Hugs Kat

 

[tiger_smurf]

Re: Back Again

I have another question besides the still questionable is it Angels Paradise? Or is it Angels' Paradise? (lotza angels)(Not one) Still wondering if apostrophes are warrented in a club name...

On with my rambling...

Pure asks, do mirrors have reflections?

gauchecritic states, And a mirror gives a reflection...

So, with that said, which sentence sounds better?

The mirrors were impressive. They covered the walls, reflecting images in a haze of swirling smoke.

Or this one...

The mirrors were impressive. They covered the walls with images reflected in a haze of swirling smoke.

Hugs Kat

I don't think it really matters about the Angels/Angels' thing. They both convey the same message. A Paradise of many angels. Use Angels' if you're trying to say that the paradise belongs to the angels. Angels, if it's just a paradise filled with angels. As it's the name of a fictional club created by you, it shouldn't matter. You can call it anything you like and no one can argue if you're right or not.

As for the sentence about the mirrors. Neither of those sounds like something I'd use. The first one is better, but they're both a bit clunky with the imagery, aren't they? How are the images reflected in a haze of smoke? Does smoke reflect anything? Do you mean your character is seeing the images *through* a haze?

 

[Seattle Zack]

Author's Hangout?

Authors' Hangout?

Authors Hangout?

Kilpatrick did a column about this a couple of weeks ago. I generally abide by the general rule he states:

My own rule, when I can remember it, is to punctuate according to the sound of the noun. This rubbery edict gives me Vickers' diagnosis and Holmes's biographer, because that is the way my ear hears them. It hears "Holmesuz." And I would generally obey "my boss's suggestions," even with its clash of sibilant syllables, because my ear hears two syllables, i.e., my bossuz' suggestions.

Different publications have different style sheets regarding this; I've had editors correct it both ways depending on their particular rules of thumb.

 

[Katerina Val-Kyrie]

Tiger Smurf

T.S. Yes, I'm trying to covey she is seeing images through a haze of swirling smoke. Damn, not in a haze of swirling smoke. Geeze, why don't I see these things. I'll fix it...

And, being that is just a paradise filled with angels, I will simply use Angels. Thanks Tiger Smurf... and seattle zack for your suggestions.

Hugs Kat