Public Service Announcement Regarding Apostrophes – Part 4 

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We’ve spent the past three weeks pluralizing last names WITHOUT using a single apostrophe. So, that leads to a question I would ask: What if it looks ugly?

 

For example, my friend’s last name is Collins. She detests the way her pluralized last name looks: Collinses. She refused to order a welcome mat for her front door because she didn’t like how “Welcome from the Collinses” looked on the doormat. However, I wouldn’t let her have a grammatically incorrect doormat. Even if you don’t like how it looks, it’s still grammatically correct to add the “es.” You never use an apostrophe.

 

The correct answers to our earlier pop quiz questions are:

 

Merry Christmas from the Humphreys 

Happy Thanksgiving from the Lowerys 

Happy Holidays from the Blinkinses 

Best wishes from the Marquezes 

Thank you from the Carsellos

 

And listen, I get it. My colleague’s last name is Walters. The plural expression of her last name is Walterses. She thinks it looks awkward and clunky. So, if you don’t like how your name looks when making it plural for this year’s holiday greeting cards, then here’s a solution that works for everyone. Cheat. Change the wording. You are welcome to say:

 

Merry Christmas from the Walters Family

Season’s Greetings from the Collins Family

 

But, whatever you do, don’t add an apostrophe.

 

To customize a keynote or professional development session that will have your audience laughing and learning, contact Mandi Stanley.

Certified Speaking Professional Mandi Stanley works with business leaders who want to boost their professional image by becoming better speakers and writers through interactive high-content keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, technical writing seminars, and fun proofreading classes. 

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Public Service Announcement Regarding Apostrophes – Part 3 

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Last week we answered questions 1 and 2. This week let’s tackle questions 3 and 4. As a reminder, we’re talking about how to pluralize last names for our Christmas and holiday greeting cards.

 

Question 3: What if my last name ends with an “x,” or a “z,” or an “sh,” or with “ch”?

 

Question 4: What if my last name ends with “y”?

 

The answer to the above questions remains the same: No apostrophe is needed. Ever. Never use apostrophes to pluralize your last name on your greeting cards. Ever.

 

What if your last name ends with an “x,” or a “z,” or an “sh,” or with “ch”? The same pluralization rule holds true with these examples. If the last name is Birch, the plural is Birches. If the last name is Lomax, the plural is Lomaxes. If the last name is Samesh, the plural is Sameshes. If the last name is Nantz, the plural is Nantzes.

 

What if your last name ends with “y”? With common nouns that end with “y” such as baby, the grammar rule dictates changing the “y” to “i” and adding “es.” Baby becomes babies when pluralized. However, that rule does not apply to proper names. You will never change the spelling of your last name to make it plural; you simply keep the “y” and add an “s” to the end. If the last name is Kerry, the plural is Kerrys, NOT Kerries. And, what if your last name ends with a “ys” already? You add “es” to the end of the “ys.” An example is Humphreyses.

To customize a keynote or professional development session that will have your audience laughing and learning, contact Mandi Stanley.

Certified Speaking Professional Mandi Stanley works with business leaders who want to boost their professional image by becoming better speakers and writers through interactive high-content keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, technical writing seminars, and fun proofreading classes. 

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Public Service Announcement Regarding Apostrophes – Part 2 

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Last week I posted a pluralization pop quiz. How did you do? Let’s see. We’ll begin with the questions I received prompting the pop quiz.

 

Question 1: How do I make my family’s last name plural on holiday cards?

 

Question 2: What if my last name ends with an “s”?

 

Question 3: What if my last name ends with an “x,” or a “z,” or an “sh,” or with “ch”?

 

Question 4: What if my last name ends with “y”?

 

Drum roll please. The answer to the above questions is: No apostrophe is needed. Ever. Never use apostrophes to pluralize your last name on your greeting cards. Ever.

 

The explanation is simple. Apostrophes show possession and are not used to make names plural. When we write “Merry Christmas from the Stanleys” or “Love, the Drumwrights,” we are referring to more than one person bearing the name Stanley saying “Merry Christmas” from that household. The Drumwrights are plural people with the same last name sending their love. There’s no possession; therefore, there’s no apostrophe needed. If we’ve been invited to a “Jingle Jingle Mix and Mingle” party by a family whose last name is Schoggen (more than one person with the name Schoggen), then we have been invited by the Schoggens.

 

But, what if your last name already ends with “s.” Still no apostrophe. When we make common nouns that end in “s” plural, we typically add an “es.” For example, the plural of business is businesses. The same is true for names. If the last name is Adkins, the plural is Adkinses. If the last name is Humphreys, the plural is Humphreyses (I know that looks ugly, but it is correct.) When we talk about “keeping up with the Joneses,” even that saying doesn’t require an apostrophe.

 

For the answers to the remaining questions, check out next week’s post.

 

To customize a keynote or professional development session that will have your audience laughing and learning, contact Mandi Stanley.

Certified Speaking Professional Mandi Stanley works with business leaders who want to boost their professional image by becoming better speakers and writers through interactive high-content keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, technical writing seminars, and fun proofreading classes. 

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Public Service Announcement Regarding Apostrophes – Part 1 

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By far, the most lively discussions that arise during my Grammar-for-Grownups seminars involve the amazing apostrophe and its role in pluralizing last names. Let’s see how you do on the same pop quiz I give the participants.

 

Which is grammatically correct? 

 

Merry Christmas from the Humphrey’s

or

Merry Christmas from the Humphreys

 

If you found that question easy to answer, then what about this one?

 

Happy Thanksgiving from the Lowery’s

or

Happy Thanksgiving from the Lowerys

or

Happy Thanksgiving from the Loweries

 

Which one of these is grammatically correct? (The last name is Blinkins.)

 

Happy Holidays from the Blinkins

or 

Happy Holidays from the Blinkins’

or

Happy Holidays from the Blinkins’s

or

Happy Holidays from the Blinkinses

 

Two more.

 

Best wishes from the Marquez’s

or

Best wishes from the Marquezes

 

Thank you from the Carsello’s

or

Thank you from the Carsellos

or

Thank you from the Carselloes

 

This is a popular topic this time of year. Check the blog next Wednesday for the answers. 

 

To customize a keynote or professional development session that will have your audience laughing and learning, contact Mandi Stanley.

Certified Speaking Professional Mandi Stanley works with business leaders who want to boost their professional image by becoming better speakers and writers through interactive high-content keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, technical writing seminars, and fun proofreading classes. 

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What Are The Rules For Ellipses?

What Are The Rules For Ellipses?

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2024 Grammar-for-Grownups Top 10

 

Number 7: Dot Dot Dot …

 

How many of you are my dot dot dot friends? 

 

Bad example: …..I will be leaving for Amory……I won’t be in the office tomorrow…if I miss you today….maybe we can talk next week…..

 

Bad example: Give me a minute……seriously……how soon do you need this???

 

Allow me to share a recent question from a reader. Question: What are the rules for ellipses? I work with people who use them a lot—I mean, sometimes multiple times in the same sentence.

 

Answer: The rule for ellipses is simple. Ellipses indicate omissions in quoted material. Please note ellipses consist of three dots, not 17 dots. You could have four dots at the end of the sentence because the fourth dot is the period. However, people tend to use the dot dot dots to express “and so on and so on and so on” or “et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.” These are incorrect uses of ellipses.

Sometimes people insert ellipses to let their thoughts trail off into the wild blue yonder. Most of the time, though, writers use them when they are uncertain of which punctuation mark they are supposed to use. Is it a comma? Is this a good place for a dash? I don’t know, so I’ll just dot dot dot it and keep on going! Again, this is incorrect use of ellipses.

 

We tend to see sentences like those above in emails. Most writers would never print the above-punctuated sentences on formal company letterhead. For some reason, we tend to be a bit lax in our email punctuation, especially with ellipses. However, email lasts forever. We need to follow the same good grammar and punctuation guidelines with emailed correspondence as we would with more formal documentation. Let’s strive to use ellipses within a quotation to represent omissions of words, sentences, or even paragraphs. 

 

How many of you will join me in limiting the incorrect use of ellipses? Are you willing to take the “No More Ellipses Pledge”? When it comes to using dot dot dots to fill in the gaps of sentences, can you nip it in the bud? Please respond in the comments below, and I’ll be your biggest cheerleader.

 

To customize a keynote or professional development session that will have your audience laughing and learning, contact Mandi Stanley.

Certified Speaking Professional Mandi Stanley works with business leaders who want to boost their professional image by becoming better speakers and writers through interactive high-content keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, technical writing seminars, and fun proofreading classes. 

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capitalization competency

Capitalization Competency: More Capital Ideas

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Capitalization rules are easy; it’s the exceptions that drive us crazy. 

 

Which is correct?

These reports were provided by the city of Jackson. 

OR

These reports were provided by the City of Jackson.

 

Isn’t this a great question? And, get ready for a lot of twists and turns with the answer. This question exemplifies why capitalization rules are simple—but the exceptions drive us crazy.

 

Correct: These reports were provided by the city of Jackson. 

Capitalize the word city only when it is part of the corporate name of the city as in Kansas City or Mexico City. Otherwise, it is proper to write the city of Overland Park or the city of Madison.

 

So far, so good. Now let’s address the word state. Capitalize the word state only when it follows the name of a state:

 

New York State is a popular destination for international tourists.

Washington State is the nation’s top apple producer.

The state of Mississippi is known for its burgers, blues, and barbeque.

Political candidates flock to the state of Iowa in the month’s leading up to the primary elections.

 

Now, here’s where it gets tricky: Do not capitalize state when used in place of the actual state name.

 

Lesley is an employee of the state.

She is a state employee.

 

However, people working for state government write it as State. Often with internal governmental correspondence, the names of countries, national divisions, and governmental groups, the common noun IS capitalized when replacing the full name. In other words, when the government rather than the actual place is the intended meaning, the word state is usually capitalized.

 

The motion was filed by the State yesterday.

 

Well, this is about as clear as mud. I use four primary style guides as references, and all four books list slightly different rules. Indeed, many of the capitalization rules in the Associated Press Stylebook contradict rules listed in other grammar guides. My recommendation: Refer to the rules I’ve distilled for you above, and be consistent. Be consistent not just within the document but within your entire organization. 

 

To customize a keynote or professional development session that will have your audience laughing and learning, contact Mandi Stanley.

Certified Speaking Professional Mandi Stanley works with business leaders who want to boost their professional image by becoming better speakers and writers through interactive high-content keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, technical writing seminars, and fun proofreading classes. 

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capitalization

Capitalization Competency: A Capital Idea

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Are department names supposed to be capitalized? Do we submit something to the Administration and Finance Department or the administration and finance department? Does it make a difference if it’s the Department of Administration and Finance or the department of administration and finance?

 

What about job titles? How do we know when to capitalize someone’s job title in a sentence?

 

Let’s all test our capitalization competency with a quick quiz on capital letters.

 

Jackson Lawrence, immediate past [Chief Executive Officer/chief executive officer] of the Eagle Leadership Institute, gave the keynote address.

 

Thompson Padgett, [Diversity Officer/diversity officer] for the College of Business and Industry, is leading an initiative devoted to creating a culture of belonging.

 

Shannon Pierce, [President/president] of the Rotary Club, facilitated a strategic planning session for the new year.

 

Answers:

 

Jackson Lawrence, immediate past chief executive officer of the Eagle Leadership Institute, gave the keynote address.

 

Did this one surprise you? It’s the most frequently overcapitalized tendency. The rule I hope you take away from this exercise is this:

 

The only time we capitalize the first letters of a person’s job title is when the title precedes the person’s proper name. When a job title is used as an appositive, it is not capitalized in the sentence.

 

In the pop quiz question above, the job title of chief executive officer is an appositive for Jackson Lawrence; therefore, it remains lower case.

 

Thompson Padgett, diversity officer for the College of Business and Industry, is leading an initiative devoted to creating a culture of belonging.

 

Diversity officer is an appositive for Thompson Padgett. It remains lower case.

 

Shannon Pierce, president of the Rotary Club, facilitated a strategic planning session for the new year.

 

President is an appositive for Shannon Pierce. Even the word president remains lower case in this instance.

 

We’ll discuss the capitalization of departments next week.

 

To customize a keynote or professional development session that will have your audience laughing and learning, contact Mandi Stanley.

Certified Speaking Professional Mandi Stanley works with business leaders who want to boost their professional image by becoming better speakers and writers through interactive high-content keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, technical writing seminars, and fun proofreading classes. 

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Further or Farther

How Do You Know When To Use Further or Farther?

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Learning 365 new words a year is one of my perennial grammar goals.  Read more

Is It Home In or Hone In? Fun with Words Week 2

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This photo is of one of the walls in the conference center at the #AloftSeattleRedmond. I was honored to facilitate a three-day Advanced Communications Program for a cohort of emerging leaders for one of my clients, and we all got a kick out of the creative artwork throughout the meeting area. But, can you tell what the wall is composed of? Look closely.

 

 

In fact, we’ll use this photo to introduce our #GrammarforGrownups question this week. Which word is correct?

If you [home in, hone in] on this photo, you can tell the entire wall is composed of old keyboard keys.

Scroll for the answer.

 

 

 

 

 

Answer: home in

If you home in on this photo, you can tell the entire wall is composed of old keyboard keys. 

I have always said hone in similar situations.

 

I have always been wrong.

 

To home in means to get closer to something such as an object or a goal or the truth. Picture a homing pigeon (why haven’t I realized that before).

To hone means to sharpen something—and you don’t hone in on anything.

My son honed his test-taking skills in preparation for the ACT.

And, I’m certainly honing my vocabulary this month.

 

Can you think of other examples of words you have been using incorrectly without realizing it?

 

 

To customize a keynote or professional development session that will have your audience laughing and learning, contact Mandi Stanley.

Certified Speaking Professional Mandi Stanley works with business leaders who want to boost their professional image by becoming better speakers and writers through interactive high-content keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, technical writing seminars, and fun proofreading classes. 

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How to Pluralize Last Names for Christmas Cards

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As we finish addressing our cards and stamping the envelopes, let’s wrap up our discussion of how to pluralize last names with tricky, sticky spellings. Read more