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".

[pellegrina.livejournal.com]

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

[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?

[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.)