+88 This isn't math, but i'm confused about this.
Explain the use of the apostrophe in the statement below.
"Many companies have already started phasing out these ingredients, especially after the FDA issued a proposed rule in 2013 that required companies to provide data on products' safety and effectiveness."
Please and thank you!!
+88 I know this site is only for math, but someone might know how to do this!
+37146 That is the plural possessive form....you don't add another 's' in the case of a word that ends in a 's'
it means ' products's ' Kinda like if you were referring to the possessions of someone named Dennis...
you would type ' All of Dennis' stuff was put in boxes' NOT 'All of Dennis's stuff was put in boxes'
+118673 Mmm maybe you are right ElecticPavlov. I never was great at English.
BUT
If I was talking about shoe that belonged to Dennis I would call it Dennis's shoe. Maybe that is wrong - I don't know.
Anyway, in this question the singular word is product. The plural word is products.
The apostrophy indicates ownership so the data on safety and effectiveness belongs to more than one of the companies products. It may only refer to one type of product at a time, like a specific machine but the company makes more than one of these machines so it is still plural.
That is my 2 cents worth but I am a mathematician - not a grammar expert :))
