Apostrophes again…and more
June 29, 2008
Apostrophes revisited. Following my blast on apostrophes in the last post, a reader has requested information on what to do when the word ends in ‘s’ already – do you just add an apostrophe and no extra ‘s’?
No! As with any other singular word, you add an apostrophe followed by an ‘s’, as in Charles’s spaniels.
However, plural words are simply followed by an apostrophe, as in the cats’ tails.
Do I say ‘different from’ or ‘different to’? Hrmph! How illiterate are we becoming! Despite their preaching to English teachers about not teaching students to read and write properly, journalists themselves just can’t get it right.
The rule is ‘different from’. There is no other option – although I suspect resistance to ‘different to’ is futile. Unfortunately.
Comments
One Response to “Apostrophes again…and more”
Got something to say?
And how I cringe when journalists talk about the “greatest” or “biggest” or “insert superlative form here” of two things!