Apostrophes
I snipped the above headline from the BBC News website. Many people have been outraged by this move. In the town of Harrogate a new street sign indicates that St Mary's Walk should now be known as St Marys Walk. I am rather pleased that an anonymous local resident cared enough to use a permanent black marker to insert an apostrophe between the "y" and the "s" on the new sign. I would have done the same if I lived nearby. As an English teacher, I regularly explained the use of the apostrophe and its significance in clarifying meaning. I also used a lot of red ink to reinforce that point when marking my pupils' work. What are young people meant to think about apostrophes when they see their own local council ditching them from street signage? I copied and pasted the following from the BBC report:- North Yorkshire Council said it "along with many others across the country" had opted to "eliminate" the apostrophe from street signs...