Imogene Shultz
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The student-friendly text, English-Not Anguish, is the result of study sheets I developed to assist my students, who were struggling with the sophisticated English books on the market. Although I used a wide variety of texts during my 40-year teaching career, the results were always the same. Students disliked English class-because they didn't understand it. Many of them appealed to their parents for help, but their parents were not equipped to assist them.
Since communication is an integral part of success in the business world, I knew that my students' careers were in jeopardy. Using their difficulty with the text as my premise, I developed a worksheet on the first unit from the following standpoint: If I knew nothing about this unit, what approach would make it easy to learn?
The worksheet was an instant hit; they loved it. Their trailing grades immediately began to spiral upward. Better than that, they began to like the subject and pride themselves on their progress. As the students experienced success, they requested additional study sheets. Other instructors who used my material had the same satisfying experience. They and my students recommended that I develop a text incorporating the worksheets to help others.
Learning occurs during repetitive implementation, so I have amplified the material, adding numerous exercises and solutions to the exercises (to be used at the teacher's discretion). Also, I have added style in capitalization, number usage, and abbreviations. Professionally and personally, I receive many requests for assistance in writing resumes, writing cover and thank you letters, and interviewing. The unit on professional development covers these areas and provides sample documents. When I met with my attorney to have my manuscript copyrighted, he asked for the name of it. Off the top of my head came the answer. This isn't anguish for the students; they enjoy it.
I am a student-oriented teacher, who is dedicated to giving students the best possible training in communications and professional development to ensure success in their personal and business lives. While I have been teaching for over 40 years, I have researched the methods and materials that motivate students and make the material easy to learn and understand-and of more importance--to retain and implement. My only claim to success is my students' achievements. That is why I developed English study sheets that grew into the text, English- Not Anguish.
With an educational background in Business and English, I taught at a high school level for three years, worked as a legal secretary for three years, and then returned to my first love: teaching. While teaching at a post-secondary level, I developed curriculum for all English classes and Professional Development classes as well as for Medical Secretarial Programs in four schools from 1967 to 1999. Additionally, I taught in all these classes, mentored other instructors in English, and served as department chairperson.
My formal education was at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Assisting young people to learn has been not only my responsibility, but also my joy.
POSSESSIVES
Nouns and Pronouns
The last unit was on plural nouns--not exactly a news flash, is it? In this unit we will form the possessive case of singular nouns, plural nouns, and pronouns.
NOTE: FORMING THE PLURAL IS ONE PROCEDURE; FORMING THE POSSESSIVE IS AN ENTIRELY SEPARATE PROCEDURE. Remembering this is crucial.
(YOU MAY OR MAY NOT CHANGE A SINGULAR NOUN TO A PLURAL NOUN.) It depends upon the sentence.
The man bought his ticket and boarded the plane. The word his tells us to keep the noun man singular.
Five man bought their tickets and boarded the plane. The words five and their indicate that we must change the singular man to the plural men.
Each student will be assigned his/her locker. The words each and his/her are singular and show that student should remain singular.
All student will be assigned their lockers. The plural words all and their indicate that singular student must be changed to the plural students.
The sentences listed above illustrate nouns--singular and plural. There is no possession shown; consequently, no apostrophes are used.
Now we are going to begin with possessives and apostrophes.
NOTE: A NOUN IS POSSESSIVE IF IT IS FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER NOUN. THE FIRST NOUN SHOWS THE POSSESSION AND USES THE APOSTROPHE. THE SECOND NOUN IS THE "THING" POSSESSED. (There may be an adjective between the nouns; e.g. The doctor’s {professional} treatment resulted in success.)
Use this as your criterion to decide whether or not a noun is possessive. If it is not followed by another noun (or noun form/noun understood), it is not possessive.
Take the sentences listed above and change them to make the nouns show possession.
The man helpful assistant bought his ticket. Man is a noun and assistant is a noun. The first one is possessive and uses the apostrophe--man's. "Helpful" is an adjective and does not influence the possessive.
Five men assistants bought their tickets. Men is a noun and assistants is a noun. The first one is possessive and uses the apostrophe--men's. Plural possessive
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Each student friend will be assigned a locker. Student is a noun and friend is a noun. The first one is possessive--student's. Singular possessive
All students close friends will be assigned lockers. Students is a noun and friends is a noun. The first one is possessive--students'. Plural possessive "close" adjective
Now we know how to determine two conditions:
Whether or not the noun should remain singular or should be made plural to fit the sentence. (Perform this procedure first.)
Whether or not the noun should be made possessive (noun followed by a noun). (Perform this procedure second.)
Let's make those determinations on some sample sentences AND ALSO LEARN WHERE TO PLACE THE APOSTROPHE IN A POSSESSIVE WORD.
Examples
A child played in the park.
1. Should the noun child be made plural? No, "a" says singular.
Is there a noun following the noun child? No! There is no possessive (and, of no apostrophe). The sentence is correct as it stands.
A child toy was lost in the park.
1. Should the noun child be made plural? No, again "a" says singular.
2. Is there a noun following the noun child? Yes, (toy), so we make the first noun possessive--child's toy. Singular possessive
FIRST APOSTROPHE PLACEMENT RULE: TO MAKE ANY SINGULAR NOUN POSSESSIVE, ADD APOSTROPHE AND THEN S. (It makes no difference with what letter the singular noun ends.)
Examples
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child's toy |
mother-in-law's recipe |
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dog's paw |
passerby's glance |
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senator-elect's campaign |
Mr. Jones's car |
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Dr. Evans's stethoscope |
actress's role |
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boss's desk |
Mrs. Shultz's test |
mouse's ears |
Each singular noun is followed by another noun; that makes the first noun possessive. To make any singular noun possessive, add 's.
Four child played in the park.
1. Should the noun child be made plural? Yes, the word four indicates that.
Change child to children.
2. Is there another noun following children? No. There is no possession shown and no apostrophe.
Four children played in the park.
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1. Four child bikes were stolen.
Should the noun child be changed to the plural. Yes, the word four indicates that. Change child to children.
Is there another noun following children? Yes. Make children possessive – Children’s bikes
Four children's bikes were stolen.
SECOND APOSTROPHE PLACEMENT RULE: TO MAKE ANY PLURAL NOUN THAT DOES NOT END IN S POSSESSIVE, ADD APOSTROPHE AND THEN S. (THE PLURAL POSSESSIVE CAN END IN ANY OTHER LETTER OF THE ALPHABET--JUST NOT S). (You will notice that the placement of the apostrophe for the singular noun made possessive is the same as the placement of the apostrophe for the possessive plural noun that does not end in s.)
Examples
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children's bikes |
sisters-in-law's recipes |
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passersby's comments |
women's conference |
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six sheep's wool |
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Note: These plurals do not end in "s."
IF A NOUN IS TO BE MADE PLURAL AND POSSESSIVE, IT MUST BE MADE PLURAL FIRST (SO YOU CAN DETERMINE WHETHER THE LAST LETTER IS "S" AND, CONSEQUENTLY, WHERE TO PLACE THE APOSTROPHE).
Examples
There is a lady department at the Target store.
Would there be a department for just one lady? No, it is for multiple ladies.
We must make lady plural-- ladies.
There is a ladies department at the Target store.
2. Is there a noun following the noun ladies? Yes, department. We must make the first noun ladies possessive.
There is a ladies' department at the Target store.
THIRD AND LAST APOSTROPHE PLACEMENT RULE: TO MAKE ANY PLURAL NOUN THAT DOES END IN S POSSESSIVE, ADD JUST AN APOSTROPHE AFTER THAT ENDING S.
Examples
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ladies' department |
2 students' desks |
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3 bosses' secretaries |
5 Joneses' cars |
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6 Schwartzes' memos |
8 Adamses' testimonials |
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2 actresses' roles |
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Note: These plurals do end in "s."
Reprise
ALWAYS TAKE THESE STEPS AND TAKE THEM IN THIS ORDER
1. Determine whether the noun should be singular or plural to fit the sentence; write it that way in the sentence.
2. Determine whether the noun should be possessive or not. Is there a noun following a noun? If not, you are finished editing the sentence.
If there is a noun following a noun, make the first one possessive.
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3. If there is a noun following a noun, form the possessives as follows:
If the noun is singular, add 's. It makes no difference with which letter the singular noun ends.
e.g. man's job boss's desk Mr. Smith's daughter
4. If the noun is plural and does NOT end in s, add 's.
e.g. children's screams mothers-in-law's complaints
sisters-in-law's cars courts martial’s effects Possession shown at the end of a compound
5. If the noun is plural and DOES end in s, add JUST the apostrophe AFTER that ending s. secretaries' pens accountants' books 3 Jameses' books
REMEMBER; IF THE NOUN NEEDS TO BE MADE PLURAL AND POSSESSIVE, IT MUST BE MADE PLURAL FIRST AND THEN POSSESSIVE.
EXCEPTION: This applies to a very minimal number of cases. DO NOT USE IT AS A GENERAL RULE. If a singular proper name ends in s and is very, very difficult to pronounce if you add 's, you may add just the apostrophe. e.g. Mr. Aristophases house would be difficult to pronounce with another s at the end, so you may write it Mr. Aristophases' house. To use this exception, all three conditions must be met:
1. Proper name that ends in s--several syllables
2. Singular form
3. Very difficult to pronounce if another s is added
Do not use it with shorter names--Dr. James's house or Mr. Ross's house or Mr. Jones's house; use it only with long names that are difficult to pronounce (many s sounds).
