In recent years, I found more instances of “its” being (wrongly?) substituted for “it’s” in otherwise grammatically correct sentences, making me wonder whether or not the two are now socially interchangeable. It’s is short for it is or it has. Its means belonging to it, as in “It’s hurt its foot while fleeing a prey.”
This reminds me of other oft-confused differences like “everyday and every day” and “that and which.”
The misuse of apostrophes isn’t limited to folks from non-English-speaking countries like China, South Korea, and Vietnam. Even in the “fine” city of Singapore, on social media, it’s not uncommon to witness (senior) math editors, (seasoned) teachers, and (savvy) politicians commit these grammatical faux pas.
Using the apostrophe correctly needn’t be difficult once you know the rule, albeit there are some tricky exceptions, which you may be forgiven if you do commit these grammar sins.
Test Yourself
Below is a simple but not simplistic exercise to test whether you’re (still) an “apostrophe novice” or not.
In each pair below, which is the correct one?
A: You’re not wrong.
B: You aren’t wrong.
C: two man’s hours
D: two men’s hours
E: Who’s not coming?
F: Who isn’t coming?
G: McDonald’s drinks
H: McDonalds’ drinks
I: … it’s missing parts.
J: … its missing parts.
K: My child scored four As for her PSLE exam.
L: My child scored four A’s for her PSLE exam.
M: mathematics’s beloved constant
N: mathematics’ beloved constant
O: Buy Bitcoin’s on FTX
P: Buy Bitcoins’ on FTX
Q: Under 18’s only
R: Under 18s only
S: the player’s trophies during the 2000s
T: the players’ trophies during the 2000’s
U: Jesus’ parables and miracles
V: Jesus’s parables and miracles
W: Trump and Xi’s goals
X: Trump’s and Xi’s goals
Y: I would’ve left him if not for his money.
Z: I’d have left him if not for his money.
How many of these pairs have both options correct?
Is Mathematics Plural or Singular?
Recently, while working on a math project, I was tickled when I came across something that reads like “Maths are like comic books. They help us deal with things in real life. …”
In French, it’s common usage to use les mathématiques—in plural form vis-à-vis the singular la mathématique. I thought it’s amusing that someone had creatively treated “maths” as plural. I was clueless if that’s because mathematic is singular and mathematics is plural.
Indeed, talking about the lighter side of math or math education, math writing (or editing) in the hands or mind of a nonmath writer (or editor) can be achingly funny. Any of those nontrivial blunders we occasionally (or frequently?) make often turns out to be little mathematical moments that spark joy in someone’s day.
Gram’tically y’rs
© Yan Kow Cheong, December 10, 2024.