The Apostrophe Crisis

It's every Proofreader's nightmare. It lurks, unnoticed by some and an affront to others. It pops up in unusual places, at the most surprising of times.

What am I talking about? The errant apostrophe, of course.

Sometimes called the Greengrocer's apostrophe, this specimen leaps out from shop windows or roadside signs.

Cabbage's for sale.

Cabbage's what for sale, I hear you asking? Has Cabbage got some prized possession he's trying to sell? This type of sign is guaranteed to raise the blood pressure - either from frustration or excitement (after all, cabbage may have something he wants to sell!).

Then there is the other one.

The one that can't differentiate between there, their or they're.

Admit it! This one really gets to you!

And what about ... wait for it!

its, it's.

Some people find it's difficult to get it in its rightful place. (Whew! You thought I was going to do the unthinkable there didn't you?)

You're going to love your next one.

Did you see what I did there? Yes. The infamous you're and your.

For anyone who's still struggling, here are the rules:

• An apostrophe is used to indicate possession or replace a contraction. It is NEVER used to indicate a plural! - That is one of Mary's cats. Don't trip over it!
• There - a place. Their - belonging to them. They're - they are.
• It's - It is. Its - possessive form of it.
• Your - possessive form of you. You're - you are.

And one more I haven't mentioned as we (thankfully) don't see it too often any more:

• Whose - possessive form of whom. Who's - who is.

So there you have it. The solution to the apostrophe crisis.

Share with your friends and family. Share with your workmates and colleagues. Share with your cousin at the other side of the world. But most importantly, share with your greengrocer. We need to stamp out this scourge.