T
Tennet
Guest
There is a debate regarding the use of apostrophes in labels. Specifically, the term "File Operations Status".
One side is arguing that the word "Operations" requires an apostrophe because it is possessive in regards to the word "Status".
The other side argues that it does not require an apostrophe because the way it is used as part of a label, it does not indicate possessiveness in the same way you would in a prose sentence.
For example, clearly in a sentence you would be referring to "a file operation's status" or "the file operations' status". But as a label, you're simply indicating the status of "file operations" in general.
This latter argument (with no apostrophe) is in high use (searching for "operations status" will yield many such results), and it is what I believe is correct.
However, what are the formal rules that allow it to be correct?
One side is arguing that the word "Operations" requires an apostrophe because it is possessive in regards to the word "Status".
The other side argues that it does not require an apostrophe because the way it is used as part of a label, it does not indicate possessiveness in the same way you would in a prose sentence.
For example, clearly in a sentence you would be referring to "a file operation's status" or "the file operations' status". But as a label, you're simply indicating the status of "file operations" in general.
This latter argument (with no apostrophe) is in high use (searching for "operations status" will yield many such results), and it is what I believe is correct.
However, what are the formal rules that allow it to be correct?