Ok so we recently purchased a camper, as well as both my siblings .. now my dh wants to make us signs to put in front of the campers, but he is driving me crazy with the punctuation ... this is just for example, but say our last name was Smith .. now, he doesn't know if the sign should read The Smith's or The Smiths' .. cause one might be showing possessiveness for the camper, and the other might just show that we are the Smith's .. I tried to help by looking up the proper way to use an apostrophe, but he said that really isn't what he is needing help with, and I guess I am not understanding it and told him to stop belly aching about it because IT'S JUST A SIGN FOR A CAMPER can anyone point me in the right direction please??

The right direction is any which leads away from DH.

Pick the one that shows possessiveness! I can't tell you why, but I just like that one better.

Speaking as an English teacher of 30+ years:

The Smiths

NO apostrophe

You're trying to show the PLURAL not the possessive. This shows who lives there -- The Smiths.


The Smith's is singular possessive and grammatically wrong to use "the". It should be Mr., Ms., Mary, Joe, etc. in front of Smith)

The Smiths' is plural possessive. Use this only if his intention is to show that the camper is owned by the whole family.

Another English teacher here... Doug is absolutely right.

Give DH a good slapping-up and tell him to get over it.

ok thanks you guys .. I guess what he was trying to decide whether he wanted to show owner ship of the camper, or just that the "smith's" live there .. so I guess it is more of a preference thing for him but he does not like the way our last name looks plural cause he thinks he would have to add es to our last name ... Reddish would then become Reddishes ?? Is this right?

Maybe the solution would be to make it "The Reddish Family" a few more letters but solves the ownership question.

thanks doug .. even though I fought tooth and nail on the fact that no, he would not have to add an "es" to our last name I guess maybe I will have to agree with him now if he has an english teacher backing him up on it!

oh no!!.....

just noticed a BAD pun that's possible

The Reddishes >>>>> The Red Dishes.....

could make a sign featuring red dishes (cup, saucer, teapot, etc. -- sort of like Beauty and the Beast) each w/ the name of a family member on it.

(need chocolate!)


and on a serious note:

a 1st class online resource of all things English -- thank you the Boilermakers of Purdue University....

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

well we already know whats going on our sign ... Michigan/Michigan State!! We are a camper divided!

Ok this now opens A LOT of questions. Don't you like the name Smith. Reddish is a very fine name. I can understand why you would switch. How do the other Smiths feel? I think this is an important question. I mean after all you are sharing a camper with them. You do know with you cahnging your name that will meamn a BIGGER sign. Is Mr. Smith/Reddish up for that?

Hehehehehe
Good Morning,

Mike