When can we omit a word while using apostrophe?
Why did I take so long to get my laptop back from my
sister’s because I had no idea what I had to do after it was gone?
I’m going to John’s to see him because he said he was sick. I’m going to go see him there!
Yesterday I went to Michaels, but he wasn’t home.
I think it is the case to omit “house,” “home,” “office” or “tipi” in
the sentence “I had to go to my sister’s to get
my laptop…” Strictly speaking, such a construction is informal since it requires that the reader assume the missing word.
In formal usage the omission would usually require that the absent word appear, as an antecedent, in a previous statement. My
house’s small house (as of 1994) is a small cottage. my house is a cottage. My sister’s is a sprawling ranch. I have children.
When omitting antecedent word may run afoul of strict formal composition norms, it is perfectly clear in conversation or informal writing.
