Mini-poll

[wellinghall]

[Poll #1758444]

Comments

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

Both are correct, as you can use an apostrophe s after a name that ends in s, as well as just an apostrophe. If it isn't a name, you can't.

[white_hart]

Either. I just don't follow the example of the builders of a small housing development in the town where I grew up, which had a plaque at the entrance proudly proclaiming it to be Keats Garden's.

[muninnhuginn]

I'd write the former, whilst happily acknowledging that the latter is correct too, but I'd say "Keats-es".

[miss-next.livejournal.com]

I'd do exactly the same.

[muuranker.livejournal.com]

Yes. Me too.

[sally_maria]

Me three. :-)

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

I'd say "Keats poems" (indeed I'd probably just say Keats, and omit the word poems), but I wouldn't follow that pronunciation through to every example, especially when in conversation involving lots of colloquialisms, including when referring to things that belong to one of my family members whose name ends in an S sound. But "Keatses poems" doesn't sound right to my ear.

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

I'd write Keats'.

Usually. Just as my pronunciation varies depending on factors such as who I'm talking to, where I am and which way the wind is blowing (sometimes with two different pronunciations in one sentence), so does my (99.8% of the time correct*) usage of apostrophes. (*What can I say, I went to an old-fashioned school which drummed it into us (and likewise my granny); ditto times tables.)

Re the headmistress, I suppose she might have just been having on off day - I do sometimes find when I'm really really tired I write (in fact more often type) uncharacteristic things (for me), like homonyms & stray apostrophes, despite the fact that it's been automatic to get it right since I was about ten.

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

The bit about granny didn't make sense, did it? I'm tired ;)

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

No, not entirely! I hope you got off to sleep quickly after you made that comment!

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

Don't think I did. I'm running on air (not sleep) today! Hope to zonk out in about 5 mins.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

My school wasn't quite so hot on grammer, but we learned our times tables up to 20 x 20.

[pellegrina.livejournal.com]

A book of the poems of Keats? It probably sounds less strange if you grew up speaking mostly Italian.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Oh, hello! How are you, and how is the invalid?

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Hmm, Rome ... noisy, smelly, dirty, crowded, and full of Italians ...

[muuranker.livejournal.com]

Rucola. Saltimbocca. Peccorino. Lacryma Christi with those curly biscuits.

The brickworks en route from the airport (no, not to eat!). Who knew Rome was a city of bricks? It shows you the marble, but is coy about the bricks.

Me, I would prefer Palermo or Perugia to Rome, but I'll take Rome over London.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I do not agree with Dr Johnson here ... but then, Kirkwall is the biggest city I've been to that I actually liked ...

[muuranker.livejournal.com]

"I hate London when its not raining"

And when it's raining, Lancaster is so much better!

[segh.livejournal.com]

I would be concerned at the sudden violent alteration in my taste in poets. Why is there no "a hamster ate my volume of Keats, you dolt" button?

[segh.livejournal.com]

I had no idea that they had so much taste. I should get one.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

They do have a lot of taste, especially with the judicious addition of some seasoning.

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

I would be more inclined to use the second form but both are OK [I think!].

On the subject of apostrophes, my mum recently received a birthday card from a former colleague who addressed the envelope to Mrs....'s.

The former colleague is a primary school headteacher in her late fifties!

[widsidh.livejournal.com]

But I only have some of Yeats's poems...

[camillofan.livejournal.com]

I'm told they're now teaching the second in US schools, but it's far too late for me to shake the indoctrination of my youth. Not only is the first the one that looks better to me; it's the only one that looks acceptable.

But, like muninnhuginn above, after spelling it my way I'd pronounce it the way the second one looks-- "keats-es." In fact, based on past behavior, I'd say there's a better than 50% chance I'd go for the funny and say "keats-es-es."

[jane-somebody.livejournal.com]

I'd write the former, though both are correct, if only because it's one letter shorter (laziness!)

I'd also *say* the former, again because it's easier, also it can be understood as "Keats poems" where "Keats" acts as an adjective. Though I'd probably be even more likely just to say "a volume of Keats" since he didn't really write much significant that wasn't poems.

I'm pretty sure I *do* have a volume of works by John Keats, by the way. (Can't be bothered to go downstairs to check, esp as study/bookcases *still* not sorted since moved house so not always easy to find things.)