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Pedants' corner

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Apostrophe query - may I consult the experts . . .

88 replies

MsPontipine · 28/02/2008 20:19

Mrs Cross has a book. Is it Mrs Cross' book or Mrs Cross's book?? Cheers loves

OP posts:
onebatmother · 29/02/2008 16:16

Hold on!
I thought it was okay to use an apostrophe after initials to form the plural?

TV's For Sale

I'm thinking I will be proved horribly, horribly wrong.

Hopeysgirlwasntbig · 29/02/2008 16:19

I think it's TVs

Hopeysgirlwasntbig · 29/02/2008 16:20

ps am I really sad to get slightly irritated when St John Ambulance is called St Johns Ambulance.

onebatmother · 29/02/2008 16:27

Just before I commit hari-kiri
I found this on the 'Motivated Grammar' blog - and it's about exactly the page that you linked to, Hopey.

"And lastly, what about abbreviations that don?t use periods (TV, CD-ROM, PhD)? Some of the stuff I?ve read demands a -s pluralization (AP Stylebook, College Writer?s Reference), some demands a ?s pluralization (Woe is I), and some says that both are fine (Harbrace College Handbook). You?re free to handle these cases how you want, I think.

So, in summary, pluralize these as follows:

most nouns: no apostrophe
lowercase letters: apostrophe
uppercase letters: either
words as words: either
numerals: either
abbreviations ending in periods: apostrophe
abbreviations without periods: either

Now, if we apply these results to the Apostrophe Protection Society?s page I linked to above about misuse of the apostrophe, it turns out that a few of the complaints are (surprise!) spurious:

Royal College of GP?s
1000?s of roll ends
We pay cash for your TV?s VCR?s Home Hifi
Copy your DVD?s
Don?ts / Do?s

Each of these falls completely within the realm of acceptable apostrophe usage, as defined by the grammar books I am familiar with. Sorry guys! You?ll have to turn your righteous indignation elsewhere!

onebatmother · 29/02/2008 16:29

God I'm dull. And very, very defensive when it looks as though I might be ...wrong.

thomsc · 29/02/2008 17:37

ahem... 'mossed'?

thomsc · 29/02/2008 18:08
policywonk · 29/02/2008 19:13

Many thanks to IB for defending my honour. I had NOT run away, I was doing Other Stuff

Lio - it would be the Joneses' party I think. Mind you I've heard they're a bit mean with the booze so I wouldn't bother if I were you.

Hopeysgirlwasntbig · 29/02/2008 20:20

"Sinj'n's" ambulance
I LOVE it

onebatmother · 29/02/2008 20:39

is it we or us pol?
I need closure.

IorekByrnison · 01/03/2008 00:13

I'm sure it's us, but without policy and her special dictionaries we are flailing in the dark.

Joneses' - of course. Because it's plural and possessive. Who would have thought.

policywonk · 01/03/2008 00:31

I've been out wit the Reception mothers and am just a leetle bit cmpromised (aarg fuckit proof reading would tkae HOURS)

Will consult special books tomorz

onebatmother · 01/03/2008 00:34

out wit the reception mothers?
not that hard, surely?

night, wonk.

policywonk · 01/03/2008 00:40

night darling
night IB

onebatmother · 01/03/2008 09:38

plink, plink... (for PW)

policywonk · 01/03/2008 10:56

OK

jura · 01/03/2008 12:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

policywonk · 01/03/2008 12:58

I believe we keep a loaded revolver on a plinth in Pedants' Corner for such occasions, jura. I forced someone to cyber-shoot herself only the other day

onebatmother · 01/03/2008 13:34

grammatical hari-kiri is a full stop to the head.

Threadworm · 01/03/2008 18:17

Or a semi automatic to the colon

Threadworm · 01/03/2008 18:20

I'm a killer quee-eeeeenn
Gunpowder, gelatine
Dynamite with a laser beam
Guaranteed to blow the thread.

Anytime

Threadworm · 01/03/2008 18:21

Wrong thread.

onebatmother · 01/03/2008 18:34

going down in a hail of bullet points.

onebatmother · 01/03/2008 21:58

and threadie, I believe that was the best wrong thread post I've ever seen.

Threadworm · 01/03/2008 22:14

And I was trying so hard.

Trying now to think of more punctuation-related forms of death.

Strung up from a hanging indent?

Leaving widows and orphans.

Swipe left for the next trending thread