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05-08-2008, 02:35 PM
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#1 | | Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Threads: 36
Posts: 323
| quick grammar question
I'm doing invitations for h.s. track banquet and I want to mention collecting money for gifts for the coaches. Is it coaches' gifts or coaches gifts? I believe it should have an apostophe. | 
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05-08-2008, 02:57 PM
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#2 | | Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Threads: 36
Posts: 323
| The sentence is "$15 includes coaches' gifts." | |
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05-08-2008, 03:05 PM
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#3 | | New Member
Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Vermont
Threads: 5
Posts: 25
| From The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage:
The singular possessive is formed with 's (boy's coat) and the plural with s' (boys' coats). | |
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05-08-2008, 03:26 PM
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#4 | | Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Threads: 36
Posts: 323
| Thanks, zip. There is more than one coach. I was just currious if it was possessive. The gifts will eventually belong to the coaches. Where is my h.s. senior when I need him? | |
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05-08-2008, 03:50 PM
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#5 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Threads: 1
Posts: 1,920
| I can't believe it--an actual QUICK grammar question. CC is notorious for its (not it's) long grammar threads. One reason to love this place... | |
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05-08-2008, 03:54 PM
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#6 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Threads: 5
Posts: 134
| Colon usage question:
if you were to say
Come together and celebrates the graduation of
Bob Jones
mik smith
joe shmo
bob brown
Friday, 24 May at . . . .
Do you put a colon before the list of names?
Even if it follows the preposition?
thanks | |
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05-08-2008, 03:55 PM
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#7 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Threads: 11
Posts: 154
| SherBear: No.  And you also don't want that 's' on the end of celebrate.
Ellemenope: I had the same reaction! | |
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05-08-2008, 04:03 PM
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#8 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Threads: 5
Posts: 134
| thanks ellemenope.
oops on the celebrates.
i was given the draft of the invite, and it had a colon after the if.
i sent the draft back with the suggestion that the colon be removed.
but i had some trepidation . . . . | |
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05-08-2008, 04:04 PM
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#9 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Threads: 0
Posts: 1,663
| $15 includes gifts for the coaches. | |
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05-08-2008, 04:07 PM
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#10 | | Member
Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Brightwater fallout zone
Threads: 48
Posts: 560
| ^^^ Ha-ha! When in doubt...
Wow, a quick question thread has 8 (make that 9 ) posts. So true, ellemenope! | |
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05-08-2008, 04:12 PM
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#11 | | Member
Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: So. California
Threads: 27
Posts: 883
| You only need a colon if the sentence sets up a list with words like "the following":
Come celebrate the graduations of the following students: Bob, Mary, etc...
Rule: If it could be read as a sentence without a pause, you don't need a colon before the list of names.
Example: Come celebrate the graduations of Bob, Mary, etc... | |
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05-08-2008, 08:10 PM
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#12 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Threads: 17
Posts: 1,651
| If the question is whether or not the "coaches" should be possessive, just make it singular & see what makes sense. That is, try "$15 includes coach gift." Or is "$15 includes coach's gift" better? I vote for the latter. However, I like midmo's idea better! | |
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05-08-2008, 08:49 PM
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#13 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Threads: 100
Posts: 5,353
| How about
"$15 includes a gift for each coach" | |
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05-08-2008, 09:11 PM
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#14 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Threads: 5
Posts: 134
| I think I've found my own answer????
COMMON MISUSES OF THE COLON
1. Do not use a colon to separate a preposition from its objects.
WRONG
She was in charge of: registration, cabin assignments, and camp clean-up.
CORRECT
She was in charge of registration, cabin assignments, and camp clean-up. | |
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05-08-2008, 09:30 PM
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#15 | | Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Threads: 13
Posts: 523
| "Coaches' gifts" is correct, but I prefer the phrasing suggested by Thumper in #13.
Regarding the invitation, it would be better to lay out the names of the students in two short columns or something of that sort, and forget about commas and other punctuation. IMHO, the text of an invitation should be laid out attractively using centering and line breaks and the like, not treated as if it were a regular sentence.
[Once an editor.... ] | |
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