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Subject:Re: Resumes and SMEs, Years v. Years' From:cjs10 -at- CORNELL -dot- EDU Date:Wed, 26 Feb 1997 15:37:52 -0500
Maurice --
I don't understand why you say the Chicago Manual says to use it "but
without any discussion." It explains quite clearly and categorically
that the apostrophe is used, and why. I've never written it any other
way, myself.
True enough, in ad copy you're not likely to find it. But then, in ad
copy you're likely to find all kinds of sub-standard uses of the language.
Joanna
On Wed, 26 Feb 1997 rose -at- ITLS -dot- COM wrote:
> > She also could not find a supporting reference. By mutual agreement,
> > we are throwing the question out to the list: should it be years' or
> > years?
> >
> > -Kevin Montgomery
>
> I also was wondering who decided that not using an apostrophe is an
> error. According to Gowers, you can take it or leave it, although he
> favours taking it (Fowler himself doesn't mention it in the
> "possessive puzzles" entry in his original book). The Chicago Manual
> of Style says to use it, but without any discussion. My editor says
> leave it out. The other writer here thinks my time might be more
> productively spent wondering whether anal retentive is hyphenated (old
> joke, I know, but that was her comment).
>
> Since we're talking about resumes, I checked several career ads in
> Monday's Globe & Mail (Toronto's national newspaper). I looked mainly
> at ads that were large, attractive, or from prominent companies. Many
> avoided the construction, but of the rest:
>
> 9 did not use the apostrophe
> 2 did use the apostrophe
> 3 used "of" instead
>
> Companies not using the apostrophe included IBM, Corel, Coopers &
> Lybrand, and Sears.
>
> Using the apostrophe looks non-standard to me, but I'd probably use
> "of" instead to avoid the issue.
>
> Maurice Rose
> rose -at- itls -dot- com
>
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