Last week, Waterstone's became Waterstones, apparently to make the name more "practical and versatile" in this technological world. The outcry seems to follow not just from the lack of apostrophe but the fact that it is being lost by a bookstore - a shop that should be taking the written word a little more seriously than others. I strongly doubt that the same reaction would have happened were Sainsbury's to do the same.
According to The Telegraph, Waterstones Managing Director James Daunt said: “Waterstones without an apostrophe is, in a digital world of URLs and email addresses, a more versatile and practical spelling."
In response, John Richards, the chairman of the Apostrophe Protection Society said: "It's just plain wrong. It's grammatically incorrect."
So are you a stickler for grammar? Or should we stop worrying so much about apostrophes in a digital age - where people write in text language and cram entire paragraphs into one tweet - and just move with the times.
Let me know wot u think below ;-) x
According to The Telegraph, Waterstones Managing Director James Daunt said: “Waterstones without an apostrophe is, in a digital world of URLs and email addresses, a more versatile and practical spelling."
In response, John Richards, the chairman of the Apostrophe Protection Society said: "It's just plain wrong. It's grammatically incorrect."
So are you a stickler for grammar? Or should we stop worrying so much about apostrophes in a digital age - where people write in text language and cram entire paragraphs into one tweet - and just move with the times.
Let me know wot u think below ;-) x
Source: The Telegraph
I've been trying for years to get people to write Waterstone's with the apostrophe! It's the beginning of the end when the country's number one bookshop abandons grammar to be more convenient!
ReplyDeleteThe apostrophe should be used. It's understood why it is omitted from URLs, Tweets and such when it needs to be; the mechanics of technology demand such adjustments. To remove it otherwise is pointless, and further blurs the line between possessive and plural.
ReplyDelete