Its a sad day.

The Apostrophe Protection Society has shut it’s doors.

Retired journalist John Richards who started the Apostrophe Protection Society 18 years ago says he is cutting back on his commitment’s at the age of 96.

Thats fair enough.

But what concern’s me is his comment that fewer organisation’s and individual’s care about the correct use of apostrophe’s.

As an aside, I approve of his correct use of the word “fewer”. It seem’s fewer people these days know when to use “fewer” and when to use “less”.

Its not just about caring – its about using apostrophes to make the meaning clear.

You could argue most of the incorrect usages of the apostrophe so far in this blog post don’t affect the meaning. My words are just as easily understood, you might say, where there is an apostrophe when one is not needed and similarly the prose is comprehensible on the occasions when I’ve excluded the apostrophes which should have been there under the rules of grammar.

Many a time has Charles Dickens been spelt as Dicken’s including on street signs.

Don’t get me started on the menu boards with “Todays Special’s” or “New Years Eve/Day”

But my favourite misuse of the apostrophe was on a broadcast story about several Members of Parliament employing their spouses in their Westminster offices.

The story title which initially went out on air was … MP’s WIVES.