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Grammar problem - that pesky apostrophe!

louiselouise
edited September 2011 in - Writing Problems
He was a maths' teacher.
or
He was a maths teacher.

I teetering towards the apostrophe, but something is telling me that because Brit Eng is Maths, and American Eng is Math this is wrong.

Dont' ask me why.

Comments

  • CarolCarol
    I wouldn't use the apostrophe myself.
    But I'm certain Jay will know the answer.
  • EddisburyEddisbury
    No apostrophe here, Louise, cos it isn't possessive. Nor is it a contraction of "math is"
  • heatherheather
    Agree, no apostrophe.
  • louiselouise
    Thank you!
  • BetsieBetsie
    No apostrophe - it's neither plural nor possessive
  • SpiresgateSpiresgate
    Definitely no apostrophe.

    Think about what you would do if he was a geography teacher. Or a French teacher.
  • LizLiz
    Run?
  • louiselouise
    rolf @Liz
  • Mrs BearMrs Bear
    It's the s that's putting you off. You are thinking along the lines of "he was the boys' teacher" but it isn't the same thing. If it was the American version without the s, there wouldn't be an apostrophe, and there shouldn't be one for the English version.
    If ever in doubt, try substituting another word and see what difference it makes.
  • LolliLolli
    bb is absolutely correct, as is everyone else who said no apostrophe. bb's explanation shows you exactly why.
  • kadokado
    Totally agree.
  • Phots MollPhots Moll
    edited September 2011
    Yes, but isn't maths an abreviation for mathematics and therefore ' could be used to show there are missing letters? (As in fo'c'stle)

    Or maybe it's like telephone becoming 'phone but now usually written without the apostrophe.
  • LizLiz
    No, as it is now a word in its own right. Fo'c'stle is not a word in its own right.
  • louiselouise
    OMG please don't confuse me any more than I am already!! :D
  • Phots MollPhots Moll
    Sorry, Louise!

    I do agree that without the apostrophe is fine.

    [quote=Liz!]Fo'c'stle is not a word in its own right. [/quote] I wonder why not, LIz. Forecastle (which is where fo'c'stle comes from) hasn't been used since Tudor times. The word is in daily use (although not often by people who aren't involved with ships in some way, I admit)
  • kadokado
    [quote=Liz!]No, as it is now a word in its own right.
    [/quote]

    I agree.

    Phone is a contraction of telephone, but we don’t write ’phone. It is also now a word in its own right.
  • LizLiz
    edited September 2011
    Well - it's possible that there has been an exception and that it has been left with its apostrophes because focstle looks impossible to pronounce!
  • kadokado
    You are right, Liz, I don't think focstle will ever be a new word added to the OED!
  • LolliLolli
    :)
  • Phots MollPhots Moll
    You may well be right - although I think it looks difficult to pronounce either way.
  • VericaVerica
    Definitely no apostrophe!
  • SilentTonySilentTony
    I have to disagree with everybody else here.

    There should be not only one but two apostrophes actually .

    I know this because when a friend of my uncle once tried to give me some private tuition at his house the police who arrested him did rabbit ears with their index fingers when they said "He told he he was a 'maths' teacher."
  • Mrs BearMrs Bear
    [quote=kado]we don’t write ’phone. [/quote]
    Actually, we used to, certainly up until the early 60s. It's the organic growth of language that has turned phone into a standalone word, and not just an abbreviation.
    ST, I am very worried about the friend of the uncle. Or the 'friend' of the uncle. Or the 'uncle'. Funny how the entire meaning shifts, just from adding two little 's (that's the plural of ').
  • LizLiz
    [quote=bertiebear]Actually, we used to, certainly up until the early 60s. It's the organic growth of language that has turned phone into a standalone word, and not just an abbreviation.[/quote]

    Quite, that's the point. It becomes a word on its own by usage and loses its abbreviation.
  • Phots MollPhots Moll
    I feel old - when I started writing, I used 'phone. Now I use phone - although with most characters it's now a mobile (not 'mobile phone' either, just 'mobile' - that one changed very quickly.)
  • heatherheather
    Don't worry, PM, it's not just you.

    When I was young if you'd tried to call someone on a mobile you'd have looked very silly with a fluffy bunny or an aeroplane sticking out of your ear.
  • louiselouise
    Said teacher now teaches English!

    ;)
  • montholonmontholon
    Couldn't help noticing as I passed a local business today that the manager was offering SKILL'S TRAINING.
  • CarolCarol
    :)
  • Jay MandalJay Mandal
    To-day, anyone?
  • Mrs BearMrs Bear
    From the Old English to daeg, meaning on this day.
    In Middle English, tomorrow was two words, to morrow, in a sort of directional way. It lost that over time, otherwise "until tomorrow" would be tautologous.

    Now see what you've started, Jay!
  • danfangodanfango
    [quote=bertiebear]ST, I am very worried about the friend of the uncle. Or the 'friend' of the uncle. Or the 'uncle'. Funny how the entire meaning shifts, just from adding two little 's (that's the plural of ').[/quote]

    In that regard, I love this blog: http://www.unnecessaryquotes.com/
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