English Usage - a question I've had for ages....

[Silver Cheetah]

Looking at Cloudy's PM post reminded me of a question I've had for ages re the English language.

Why, in the past few years, has everyone started using the ' for plurals (not picking on you Cloudy, this is SO common - I've seen it in huge billboard ads. In fact, I think it is because it is so common that we've all started doing it, if that makes sense [img]smile.gif[/img] .. )

How did it start? Is it to do with Microsoft grammar/spelling corrections (being wrong...)

The ' is used for possessives, not plurals.

So, these are correct:

Mandy's book, Cloudy's post, Yorick's guitar, Saz's sigs..

These aren't:

CD's, video's, PM's, 100's, 1960's, bank's, and so on. The correct usage is CDS, videos, PMs, 100s, 1960s, banks.

Does anyone know how this trend started? It seems to have gone from 0 - 60 in less than five years. As a professional writer and editor, I come across it all the time. In fact, I've started doing it myself, when I don't pay attention.... [img]smile.gif[/img]

Or is there a little known rule in the English language that I am just not aware of?

I do it cause Im brain dead when I type [img]smile.gif[/img]

My early grammar teachers (Catholic Nuns) would beat me silly if they caught me [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Reeka]

I think you are referring to MLA form for CDs, 1960s, etc. I may be wrong, but possibly in the old Chicago Manual of Style, it may have been the other way.

Perhaps that is the difference. As in that it is correct in proper names to say the for the plural the Jones' or the Jones's.

[Silver Cheetah]

quote:

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Originally posted by MagiK:
I do it cause Im brain dead when I type [img]smile.gif[/img]

My early grammar teachers (Catholic Nuns) would beat me silly if they caught me [img]smile.gif[/img]

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No, I don't think so MagiK! Everyone is doing it, but everyone! A few years ago, you would see the occasional misplaced ' which would be a genuine mistake. Nowadays, people in the UK (I don't know about other English speaking countries) use it thinking it is completely correct, - as I said, I've seen it in huge billboard ads, which means the proof readers haven't picked it up as a mistake.

Any more suggestions?

[Epona]

It annoys me no end.
Glad it isn't just me that noticed this - I do it ocassionally, but am usually highly embarrassed when I discover my mistake [img]graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

[Neb]

I've noticed it as well, recently, one of my classmates had written an essay where all of the plurals were with ' instead of just an s.

[Talthyr Malkaviel]

Yup, apostrophes are only used in 2 ways-
possesive and omissive.
This means only if the described object belongs to some one, e.g Bob's hairy back, and omissive when used to omit letters, e.g
can't and couldn't
So there shouldn't be any opther apostrophes AT ALL!

This has all the makings of a apostrophy catastrophy

[Garnet FalconDance]

When my kids were still attending public school (I homeschool them now), I would see such things on their papers. I asked the teachers about it, and I was told this was accepted policy! I argued endlessly with these ppl as I *knew* differently, but all I got in return was the 'I'm a school teacher and all you are is a parent' routine. Geez!! I have more education than a lot of those ppl *and* a great deal more language training!

So whenever I screw up, guys, it's because the typo daemon is visiting and/or I'm too lazy (or sleepy) to correct myself [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Melusine]

Ack... [img]graemlins/blush.gif[/img]
I *know* I must have made this mistake myself on occasion, even though I know it is incorrect. The problem is, in Dutch, this *is* the correct way to make plurals out of quite a few words (especially words adopted from English). We even have spellings like "baby's" where you have "babies"! It is quite confusing. But, you are right, Cheetah, and I'll try to scour my posts for things like these even better I hate it when I make blatant mistakes in English *grumbles*