Apostrophe Question

[Hopkirk]

Tenrec's question has raised a fresh concern.

Should it be "Residents Parking Only", or "Residents' Parking Only"

[Euphemia]

The latter.

[Andyvon]

The latter as there are several residents. If there were just one resident then the apostrophe would be between the 'T' and the 'S'.

[atrollope]

thank god!I think I might sleep tonight now.

[Hopkirk]

You and a few million others, Pete.

I pity Johnny Foreigner trying to learn English.

[Hopkirk]

So instead of the Scouts' hut, I should say the hut of the Scouts.

[factor-fiction]

But would you say Scouts' hut- I always call them Scout Huts.

[Hopkirk]

That would make me sound like Johnny

[Hopkirk]

Only one hut, Factor me old mate

[carlton23]

Schools out again I see, or should I have put an apostrophe in school's?
I don't see why it should bother so many A/B's, after all we're not writing essay's or to anyone of a intellect, except our beloved 'techies' of course.

[DTCwordfan]

it is so torturous.....

"the girl's hut" and then the girls' hut - the former being singular, the latter plural....... and that is the best advice - is it singular or plural?

I am also guilty of forgetting apostrophes on here, - one common one, and a difficulty, "it's and its" - one meaning "it is" and the other possessive, "its domain".

[DTCwordfan]

because you should really say, "School is out" - we all abbreviate like this - one trick in writing is to let the English characters speak with the apostrophe and the foreigner to go "long hand" as in "School is out." This is done as, in any language, the "naturals" tend to short cut the language and use an awful lot more argotic expressions.

[ladybirder]

Hopkirk I sent that post on the other thread and then went and had a bath. As soon as I got in the bath I thought OMG I must apologise to you as I am wrong. Now I'm not so sure. Isn't the sign saying this is Parking FOR (the use of) Residents Only which is not the same as saying this is the Parking of the Residents Only. Am I making any sense? If not I'll shut up.

[Hopkirk]

To be honest, I don't really care, but it passes the time.

Some people get really angry about it.

[Hopkirk]

See

http://www.apostrophe.org.uk/

[DTCwordfan]

For can substitute of in your example, ladybirder, so "Residents' Parking" is technically correct.

[arieswoman]

Argotic indeed DT!

I love apostrophes - but that's probably to do with my age. I really enjoyed learning English grammar at school, which made learning other languages so much easier for me. Thank you Miss Bradford!

[Hopkirk]

Who is Miss Bradford?