Can you spot the error in each of these signs?
An apostrophe is never used when pluralizing a noun!
Apostrophes are for showing possession or contractions. Despite this, apostrophes are so often misused that we are accustomed to seeing errors.
Most nouns are made plural by simply adding *s* to the end of the word, but like anything, there are lots of exceptions and rules to confuse us.
Exceptions to the just-add-s rule
Some nouns do not follow the just-add-s rule. For example, if the noun ends in s, ss, sh, ch, x, or z, add *es* to the end to make it plural. Blintzes, lunches, flushes, buses, taxes.
Do not add an apostrophe. It is not blintz’s, lunch’s etc.
If the noun ends in y and the letter before the y is a consonant, change the ending to *ies* to make the noun plural. More than one puppy is puppies, an additional baby makes babies.
Let’s get more confusing
If a noun ends in o, add *es* to make it plural. More than one potato or tomato is potatoes and tomatoes.
However, more than one photo is photos, piano is pianos, and halo is halos. I do not know why. I only know you do not get to add an apostrophe. It is NOT photo’s or piano’s.
If you’re interested in the nitty gritty, read more rules on Grammarly and make your head spin.
Last Names
Suppose you have a last name that ends in an s or z, like mine, and you’re signing a greeting card from the family? Do you sign it Love, the Sienkiewiczs? Sienkiewicz’s? Sienkiewiczes?
The correct plural form is Sienkiewiczes. I know it looks weird. Read more here. I avoid it this dilemma by signing our cards “The Sienkiewicz Family.”
When can you use an apostrophe?
An apostrophe is used for possessions or contractions. Examples of possession are
- The DVD’s cover is broken.
- Thursday’s supper is steak and green beans.
- Friday’s forecast calls for fog.
- This particular med’s side effects include bloating.
Apostrophes are also used for contractions
- don’t
- shouldn’t
- can’t
- haven’t etc.
Please note the exception with the word it. The contraction of it is –> it’s. The possessive of it –> its. It’s time to change the clocks. You do this by moving its hands.
The Editor’s Manual (IMHO) makes up a few rules
The Editor’s Manual states an apostrophe may be used in plurals of numbers. So it is not wrong to write “It happened in the 1800’s.” In formal writing, though, the manual says it should read “It happened in the 1800s.” Apparently this is a style choice.
An example of this so-called style choice by the Editor’s Manual is you can write either dos and don’ts – or – do’s and don’ts. But, I would argue, if you add an apostrophe to do’s, shouldn’t don’ts be don’t’s? Do’s and Don’t’s? Well, that’s not right.
I believe you are better served by never using apostrophes to make a noun plural.
What about more than one corgi?
I have two corgis. I do not have two corgies or two corgi’s. Here’s a little trivia: the etymologically correct plural of corgi is corgwyn.
The Welsh Corgi (/ˈkɔːrɡi/[5] or Corgi, plural Corgis, or occasionally the etymologically consistent Corgwn; /ˈkɔːrɡuːn/) is a small type of herding dog that originated in Wales. The name corgi is derived from the Welsh words cor and ci (which is mutated to gi), meaning “dwarf” and “dog”, respectively.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_Corgi
This is similar to pluralization exceptions such as goose / geese, mouse / mice, and person / people.
So I have two corgwyn.
Thank you for visiting!
Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a writer, poet, and artist.
Learn more about her multi-award winning novel, In the Context of Love.
Learn more about her picture book, Gordy and the Ghost Crab.
Learn more about her poetry chapbook, Security