# Whence the overuse of the apostrophe?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-the-overuse-of-the-apostrophe/404960>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 21, 2007, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-the-overuse-of-the-apostrophe/404960 "2007-05-21T19:08:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-the-overuse-of-the-apostrophe/404960/61 "2012-11-29T04:07:25Z")

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> [@SCAdian](#):
>
> Nothing wrong with that statement.
> 
> Unless you think that a Subaru has a what, and it’s the possession of that what that makes a Subaru, a Subaru.

As pointed out above, the comma is unnecessary. Not wrong, as it can be claimed to be used for clarification’s sake, but unnecessary.

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**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-the-overuse-of-the-apostrophe/404960/62 "2012-11-29T05:45:44Z")

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> [@flight](#):
>
> So, what is the past participle of NDE?
> 
> We need to NDE that piece soon.
> 
> No, that’s OK, we NDE[-ed, -d, 'd?] it yesterday.

NDEed. Like any regular verb. \<shrug\> What’s so hard about that?

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**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-the-overuse-of-the-apostrophe/404960/63 "2012-11-29T07:26:42Z")

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> [@SCAdian](#):
>
> Writing two sentences together as a single sentence, with a comma rather than a period at the end of the first.
> 
> "John was carrying a pack, he thought it was too heavy.’

Thanks. I’ve never heard that particular expression. I’d probably put a semi colon there instead.

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