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Anonymous Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
Proper use of apostrophe
What is the proper spelling of the following?
Varsity Boys Basketball
or
Varsity Boys' Basketball
Do I need an apostrophe?
Thank you in advance for your help.
Varsity Boys Basketball
or
Varsity Boys' Basketball
Do I need an apostrophe?
Thank you in advance for your help.
Top answer
I think typically this is spelled without the apostrophe- at least in schools in the US where I have worked for many years -simply because it is tedious to add the apostrophe each time the term is used. However, if this is the basketball team belonging to the Varsity Boys, the proper spelling would be "Boys'" and that spelling would be used for the occasional use outside of the school.
- I think typically this is spelled without the apostrophe- at least in schools in the US where I have worked for many years -simply because it is tedious to add the apostrophe each time the term is used.
- However, if this is the basketball team belonging to the Varsity Boys, the proper spelling would be "Boys'" and that spelling would be used for the occasional use outside of the school.
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5 Answers
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I think typically this is spelled without the apostrophe-at least in schools in the US where I have worked for many years-simply because it is tedious to add the apostrophe each time the term is used. However, if this is the basketball team belonging to the Varsity Boys, the proper spelling would be "Boys'" and that spelling would be used for the occasional use outside of the school.
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To be correct, you need to use the apostrophe. It is a possessive usage: the team of the boys.
If you were writing about a hat belonging to your sister, you would write: your sister's hat. You wouldn't write: your sisters hat. It is the same grammatical construction.
To excuse the omission of the apostrophe by saying it is "tedious" to include it is the equiv
If you were writing about a hat belonging to your sister, you would write: your sister's hat. You wouldn't write: your sisters hat. It is the same grammatical construction.
To excuse the omission of the apostrophe by saying it is "tedious" to include it is the equiv
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When we say boys basketball, we're not saying basketball belonging to boys. We're saying basketball played by boys. Boys is an adjective, not a possessive noun. We could technically say boy basketball, but for lack of a better phrase, that doesn't sound right.
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anonymousWhat is the proper spelling of the following?
Varsity Boys Basketball
or
Varsity Boys' Basketball
Do I need an apostrophe?
Thank you in advance for your help.
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