12.14.11
Ah, That Pesky Apostrophe
I know, I know… we English majors can be a pain sometimes. We’re the kids who actually LIKED to diagram sentences on the board in 5th grade. During math class, of course, our palms would sweat and we’d ask for bathroom passes. But if it involved words and ideas, we seemed to understand at an early age that following the rules would mean we’d be understood.
Which brings me to my blog post today… the mighty apostrophe.
At Carved Solutions, our job is to help you communicate your special message. So here are a few rules about how and when to use an apostrophe in your customized carving and engraving, whether it’s soap, candles, glassware or any of our great products.
1. When putting a name on something you don’t need an apostrophe to make it plural:
The Warrens refers to the Warren family.
The Warren’s means this bar of soap belongs to them (probably not what you’re trying to say).
2. If the name already ends in an “s” or “z” you can either add an “es”, or just use the name without putting “The” before it:
The Joneses, The Hernandezes (correct, but it looks kind of clunky)
Jones , Hernandez (preferable)
3. If the name ends in a vowel and you want to make it plural, just put an “s” on the end:
The Moores
The Moore Family (another good option)
One final word about CAPITALIZATION. In our media-saturated world, all caps is a common way to get people’s attention, to shout a bit. If your statement is EXUBERANT then use those caps!! But if you’re just putting a name on something, the old rule of capitalizing the first letter of the name will probably serve you well.
We will, of course, fulfill your custom carving and engraving order exactly as you submit it to us, so when in doubt, ask the nearest English major to check your order before you hit send. And rest assured that your thoughtfulness and good taste will shine through any grammatical errors.
Enjoy!
Jane Warren (Guest Blogger Extraordinaire)
