Thursday, June 18, 2009

Grammar Nerds needed

I just had a COMPLETE panic when I realized that I had perhaps made a punctuation error in the title of this blog. Should I have called it "Rachel's and John's Wedding?" Is it acceptable usage to make the one apostrophe apply to both names? I have not consulted the Chicago Manual of Style, but instead ask one of the grammarians among you to weigh in here, and set me straight.
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2 comments:

  1. GeorgeJJuly 17, 2009 at 4:37 PM

    Dear Grammar worrywart:

    Think I learned this rule in sixth grade, some time during the second half of the Eisenhower administration. When one wants to indicate the possessive of two nouns joined together by "and", it is acceptable just to stick the "'s" at the end of the second noun...

    now I can make haste to Google or Strunk & Wagnalls.com and find out the true answer, but I'm about 80% confident in that answer...

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJuly 18, 2009 at 6:54 PM

    Dear Rachel,

    This is one conern that you may lay to rest.

    The first responder is correct. Only if you and John were having separate weddings (Rachel's and John's weddings), would two apostrophes be warranted.

    It warms my heart to know that someone (other than Wm.Saffire)cares.

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