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Original poster

Calling all grammar curmudgeons

27 replies

SoupDragon · 13/09/2006 13:27

I'm putting together a directory of businesses for the PTA. Where do I put the apostrophes? It's called:

Parents Services Directory

My mind is that there should be apostrophes after both final ss (which brings to mind another question - what is the plural of S?) but that looks too messy for the title!!

OP posts:
HuwEdwards · 13/09/2006 13:29

just one apostrophe at the end of Parents'

MissChief · 13/09/2006 13:29

Parents' Services Directory, I'd say!

WigWamBam · 13/09/2006 13:30

I'd say Services doesn't need an apostrophe, but Parents' does.

Parents' Services Directory - or save yourself the hassle and call it Directory of Services for Parents!

Original poster
SoupDragon · 13/09/2006 13:30

But it is a directory of Services, thus surely it should be "services' directory".

TBH I'm tempted to leave them all off!!

OP posts:
Original poster
SoupDragon · 13/09/2006 13:31

And as they are the services of the parents, they are parents' services.

OP posts:
Original poster
SoupDragon · 13/09/2006 13:32

So technically it's a Directory of Services offered by Parents.

OP posts:
HuwEdwards · 13/09/2006 13:32

Look you old dragon, you ask our advice, we are all in agreement with eachother.....and you argue.

Our gang is bigger than yours.

Iklboo · 13/09/2006 13:32

Services is already the plural noun - the apostrophe in Parents' indicates plural possesive (it belongs to the parents) - the directory is listing the Services, it doesn't belong to the services (does that make ANY sense???)

MrsBadger · 13/09/2006 13:33

depends on the sense - is it a Directory of Services, and the directory is meant for parents?
That'd make it Parents' Services Directory

Or are they Services for Parents, which you're putting into a directory format?
That'd still make it Parents' Services Directory

Or is there something set up already called 'Parents Services', and this will be their directory and belong to them?
That'd make it Parents Services' Directory

JackieNo · 13/09/2006 13:34

'Services' only has an s on the end because it's a plural - it's nothing to do with a possessive. Only the 'Parents' needs an apostrophe after the s.

WigWamBam · 13/09/2006 13:34

Services is plural, so doesn't need the apostrophe. You need one for Parents' to indicate a possessive.

We're right, honestly we are

Original poster
SoupDragon · 13/09/2006 13:35

I would never have cared before mumsnet! (I've already printed it as Parents' Services Directory as it happens and then I thought "no, there should be another ' in there...")

OP posts:
HuwEdwards · 13/09/2006 13:36

and getting bigger

Original poster
SoupDragon · 13/09/2006 13:38

So a book of cats would be cats book with no ' ?

OP posts:
MissChief · 13/09/2006 13:39

dependsif it belonged to the cats or not!

JackieNo · 13/09/2006 13:39

Unless it was a book the cat actually read, and then it might be the cat's book, or the cats' book, if there were several of them reading it

HuwEdwards · 13/09/2006 13:40

What a fab thread!

Marina · 13/09/2006 13:42

Lining up behind Huw to throw apostrophe bombs at the dragon...

yorkshirelass79 · 13/09/2006 13:43

Message withdrawn

kiskidee · 13/09/2006 13:44

iklboo is correct.

aDAdOnMumsnet · 13/09/2006 13:48

Yep iklboo spot on I reckon

Iklboo · 13/09/2006 13:49

can you guess who's just been on a Plain English & Grammar Refresher course???

aDAdOnMumsnet · 13/09/2006 13:51

but also yorkshire lass point good. That would work as well.

HuwEdwards · 13/09/2006 13:51

Not Soupy, that's for sure

Ellbell · 13/09/2006 14:07

Personally I like Yorkshirelass's suggestion. However, I also think that Parents' Services Directory is OK, but for a slightly different reason. The apostrophe indicates possession. You need one after 'Parents' because the directory of services belongs to the parents (as it were), but you don't need one after 'Services' because the directory doesn't belong to the services, it lists the services. The problem is that prepositions can mean a whole variety of things... ('of' doesn't always indicate possession in other words).

(Finally, in answer to SD's final question, the plural of 's' is 's's'. Yes, it's OK to use an apostrophe after a single letter that you want to make plural (as in 'mind your p's and q's'!). But that may be confusing the issue )