Category: Writing tips

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The grammar of Mother’s Day – or is it Mothers’ Day? Or Mothers Day?

A hand holds three long-stemmed flowers: one white, one yellow, and one pink.
Photo by Elena Koycheva on Unsplash

How do you even begin to write the card? Happy Mother’s Day? Or is it Mothers’ Day? Maybe it’s Mothers Day. Where does the apostrophe go? Do you need one? Is it correct to capitalise those words? I’ll try to unscramble the grammar of the day’s title: what you write to your mother after that is up to you.

Apostrophe or no apostrophe?

It’s a tricky little punctuation mark, the apostrophe. Does it have a place here? Grammatically, you could argue for both being correct:

    • If you consider the day to belong to your mother, your mothers, or to all mothers, then it would be grammatically correct to use an apostrophe to show possession. After all, if it were her birthday, you’d write ‘Mum’s birthday’ on the calendar.
    • If you consider that Mothers simply describes what type of day it is, then it would be grammatically correct to omit the apostrophe. In this case, Mothers acts as an attributive adjective (an adjective that goes before the noun it describes). If your mum is a fan of the Beatles, then she would be a Beatles fan, not a Beatles’ fan.

Single possession or plural possession?

If there’s to be an apostrophe, do you follow that with an s or not? Again, grammatically, you could argue for them both being correct:

    • If it’s the day you celebrate your mother, and if you have only one (or you have more but they’re getting a card each), then you could argue that single possession is appropriate and write ‘Mother’s Day’.
    • If it’s the day you celebrate all mothers, or if you have more than one, then you could argue that plural possession is appropriate and write ‘Mothers’ Day’.

Capitalised or lowercase?

Here, it’s a bit simpler. Both parts form the name of the special day, and so both parts are capitalised.

If, however, you were talking about another day when you treated your mum, then you would certainly lowercase day. Whether you lowercase mother as well would depend upon whether that is being used as a proper noun or a common noun:

Common noun: Tomorrow’s your mother’s day, so it’s up to her what we do.

Proper noun: It’s Mother’s birthday. So, as it’s Mother’s day, we’ll do what she wants.

Is there a definitive answer?

It’s all very well knowing that you could argue your case whichever option you choose, but you’d probably rather avoid a debate on the subject.

Trying to find consistency with other celebrated days in the calendar doesn’t help much:

    • We give saints’ days apostrophes. And you can easily see if there’s just one being celebrated – St Valentine’s Day, St David’s Day, St George’s Day, etc. – or more than one – All Saints’ Day
    • The US has a holiday to honour all military veterans, but treats Veterans as an attributive adjective – Veterans Day, as first proclaimed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower

If you’re in the UK, you could swerve the issue and write ‘Mothering Sunday’. This is the correct title of the festival observed on the fourth Sunday in Lent. The day is traditionally about returning to your mother church but is now widely used to honour mothers.

Having a special day to honour mothers originated the US, where it is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. It was founded by the remarkable Anna Jarvis. Her motto for the day was:

“For the Best Mother who Ever Lived—Your Mother.”

From that, it’s clear that it was conceived as a day to celebrate your own mother, rather than mothers in general. Indeed, the proclamation by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914 uses single possession – Mother’s Day.

Conclusion

Armed with this information, you can fend off just about any punctuation choice in your greeting for this special day – provided you capitalise both words. But you can’t go wrong with:

    • Mothering Sunday: if you’re celebrating the UK church festival
    • Mother’s Day: if you’re honouring your mum

Now you’re all set for the day set aside for honouring your mother. When it comes to the equivalent day for your father – which has the same date in the US and the UK, the third Sunday in June – you can apply the same reasoning. Just don’t call it ‘Fathering Day’ – that might give entirely the wrong idea!

As you’ll have seen, there’s a lot more to English punctuation than a single, simple rule to follow. You shouldn’t face criticism for how you’ve punctuated a greetings card (which is ‘greeting card’ in US English, just to add to the mix), but in other forms of writing, it will make a difference.

Whatever you’re writing, try not to get too hung up on small details, at least in the first draft. Get your ideas down and check the punctuation later or let someone do that for you. A professional editor or proofreader will not judge you for mistakes – we all make them. If you would like me to help you to present the best version of your writing, please get in touch here.

Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by me.

 

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Apostrophes – a problem shared

Apostrophes tend to divide folk – some get them, some don’t; some champion them, others want to do away with them. Whatever your view, they are part of our language. And if your intention is to write things that others will read, it’s best to get to grips with apostrophes in order to make your writing clear – and avoid a potential backlash.

When I saw this headline on the back page of a newspaper (I won’t name the publication – mistakes happen)

‘BIG SAM’S AND PEP’S BROMANCE’

my immediate thought was not about the story, but about the messages about punctuation that might be heading the way of the editorial team. How should that headline, suggesting something shared, have been punctuated?

Apostrophe with big eyes and slight smile.

Apostrophes – a reminder of the basics

Apostrophes are used to show two things:

    • Contraction: where two words have been smushed together, the apostrophe takes the place of the omitted letter or letters:

It is ➜ It’s

    • Possession: where one noun belongs to or is related to another, the apostrophe shows that relationship:

The whiskers of the cat ➜ The cat‘s whiskers

If the noun is singular and ends in an s, then it is still followed by ’s in order to make it clear that the noun is singular:

The sister of James ➜ James’s sister

There is one exception to the use of the possessive apostrophe: if the pronoun it has possession of something, then following the usual rules would produce the same result as for a contraction; to make the meaning clear, therefore, the apostrophe is omitted:

The head belonging to it ➜ Its head

Apostrophes and plurals

This is where most apostrophe-related problems seem to occur, but the main things to remember are:

    • Never use an apostrophe to show that something is plural:

More than one pie ➜ pies, not pie’s

    • Although you must not use apostrophes to show that something is plural, you still need to use them to show where a plural noun has possession of or a relationship to another. Where the plural ends in an s, it is necessary to include just the apostrophe to make it clear that the noun is plural:

The books of more than one author ➜ The authors’ books

The books of more than one child ➜ The children’s books

Shared possession

Here’s where it seems to have tripped up the headline writer. Where more than one person has a thing they share as a unit, the possessive apostrophe goes after the last name making up that unit:

Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor married each other twice, so we would refer to those as Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor‘s marriages.

Collective possession

On the other hand, where more than one person has their own collection of the same thing, the possessive apostrophe goes after each of the names:

Richard Burton and Joan Collins were each married several times, but none of those marriages were to each other. We would therefore refer to Richard Burton’s and Joan Collins‘s marriages.

Conclusion

I don’t profess to know anything about Big Sam or Pep except that they have something to do with football. I do know, however, that a bromance is something that is shared; associating their names with that emotion suggests they share it. Therefore, the headline should have been written like this:

BIG SAM AND PEP’S BROMANCE

Apostrophes have a habit of creeping in or being left out however well we understand them. If you have a story to tell, then I would say that you should get on with that and check the punctuation later or let someone do that for you. A professional editor or proofreader will not judge you for mistakes – as I said earlier, these things happen. If you would like me to help you to present the best version of your writing, please get in touch here.

Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by me.

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Descriptive writing: use it well

Can you have too much of a good thing?

Words are powerful, but you should use them responsibly – as I’m sure Peter Parker’s uncle would caution you. Consider this in your use of descriptive writing.

The first time I read that a character shrugged off his coat, I thought it was a cleverly accurate description. By the second time I read it, I was less impressed. Whenever I read it now, I can’t help but sigh. Why is this?

From school onwards, we try to expand our vocabularies and find different ways to describe things in our writing. We admire the language skills of the authors of classic literature. Consider this:

‘Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner…’ (Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol)

This is good stuff. And it’s a wonderful feeling to discover – and to read – a different way to describe an action, person or object. Those words have strength; they are noticeable and memorable. But therein lies the potential difficulty.

As readers, we remember powerful words

This means that:

    • we will notice when they are used again
    • when we read them again, particularly within the same book, we will be less impressed and may even think the writer is lazy – which would be unfair
    • our attention is drawn to the action, person or object described.

That last one may not seem to be a bad thing, but consider this: did my attention need to be drawn to the way the character took off their coat? Replacing he shrugged off his coat with simpler language – he took off his coat – could prevent that distraction.

But did I even need to know that the character had taken off their coat? We generally do take coats off when coming in from outside, but I would suggest that we do so without really thinking about it. Would we include ­– or want to read about – other necessities of life? I’m pretty sure that Jack Bauer never once went to the loo during any series of 24.

Keep your reader’s attention where it’s needed

In the quote I mentioned, Dickens’s use of multiple strong adjectives, metaphor and similes ensures that his reader’s attention is securely focused on that character. This is appropriate: Scrooge is the principal character in A Christmas Carol; there would be no story without him. To echo the famous opening of the book, if we didn’t know, to begin with, what a thoroughly objectionable character he is, then – is this a spoiler? – there would be nothing wonderful about his delight and generosity at the end.

You should, of course, use language to the full and explore new and interesting ways to describe your characters, settings and action, but the power of those words should be used to engage your reader’s attention with the story: that is what will keep them reading it.

Re-read and revise

Don’t worry about getting it right first time: Charles Dickens may have written A Christmas Carol in six weeks and without an initial outline or draft, but the manuscript is full of revisions. If you have a story to tell, then I would say that you should get on with that and then go through and revise it later.

Editing your own work can be hard – particularly if you have become attached to a particular piece of descriptive writing – and so you may prefer to let someone do that for you. A professional editor will not criticise or judge you but will work with you to improve what you have written. If you would like me to help you to present the best version of your writing, please get in touch.

 

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Style sheet: what is it, and why should you have one?

You will find, if you haven’t already, that publishing professionals like to talk about style sheets. But what are they, and why are they important?

Rules, conventions and preferences

You may think – perhaps because that is how it appears – that spelling, punctuation and the like have rules that must be followed: either they are right, or they are wrong. In some cases this is true, but the English language is, as I have heard it said, gloriously chaotic. In many cases, there are simply style preferences and conventions. And for fiction, there is much more flexibility. Making a note of the styles you have chosen is important for consistency, and the style sheet provides that record.

What sort of style choices are recorded on the sheet?

As with all things, this can vary. The main headings that are likely to be covered, however, are:

    • Language preferences, such as:
      • British English, US English or another preferred form: this will help to guide choices for spelling, punctuation, grammar and word selection.
      • Slang or made-up words: recording these within the style sheet is important to ensure consistency in usage and spelling because they may not be capable of being checked elsewhere.
      • Preferred form of words where there is a choice: e.g. among/amongst, toward/towards, spelled/spelt, -is/-iz
    • Formatting and layout choices. These can cover a wide range of issues, including:
      • How to present abbreviations
      • How to present numbers, times and dates
      • How to format ellipses (e.g. with a space either side)
      • How to indicate sentence interruption or trailing off
      • How to present dialogue and thoughts
      • How to present chapters and scene breaks
      • Paragraph indentation
      • Hyphenation
      • Capitalisation
      • Whether or not to use the Oxford/serial comma.
    • The bigger picture, which may include:
      • Primary narrative structure (e.g. third-person past)
      • Point-of-view structure (e.g. one character’s point of view throughout the whole book)
      • Any world-building rules: these are of particular importance where there are fantasy elements in the story, so as to make the world you have imagined real for your reader.
    • A separate list of spellings is often included and is helpful to ensure consistency throughout the book, particularly if you have used regional slang, or have made up some words or expressions (neologisms).

Beyond the choice of words and formatting, an extended style sheet may also include notes on the following:

    • Timeline: noting when key events occur can highlight inadvertent inconsistencies, which can happen easily, particularly with narrative structures that purposely dart around. Being able to see key events set out in chronological order can help you to see where you intended them to fit and enable dates and times to be juggled accordingly.
    • Synopsis by chapter: this can be helpful for reviewing the structure of the book (e.g. to ensure that there is enough in each chapter to keep your reader engaged) as well as providing a good overview for navigation purposes and to keep an eye on the plot, subplots and movement of characters.
    • Characters: summarising the main characteristics and relationships of the characters (even minor ones) mentioned in the book is useful for identifying whether you have inadvertently given two or more of them the same or similar names, or whether you have an overabundance of incidental characters. Keeping this record also helps to maintain consistency of the appearance, relationships, likes, dislikes and verbal traits of your characters so that they feel authentic and your reader can easily recognise them.
    • Geography: useful for keeping track of where the locations referred to in your story are in relation to each other and how they are described, which will make the world you have imagined feel real to your reader. Sometimes, this may also include a sketch/plan/map in order to better visualise a location and maintain consistency.

Who decides?

Essentially, the choices are yours; you are, after all, the author.

Your publisher may have some style and formatting preferences in order to achieve brand consistency, and some decisions may be dictated by your intended audience (e.g. if you intend to publish in the US, then the spelling, punctuation and grammar conventions of US English would be a good choice).

Your editor may also make some suggestions based upon their experience of the conventions for your chosen audience or genre; whether you accept those suggestions is up to you.

Who prepares the style sheet?

If you are using a publisher who has their own style sheet, then they will have prepared this, but it will likely only cover matters of formatting and layout, and possibly language preferences.

Otherwise, it will depend upon how you write:

    • You may be a planner, setting things out in a story bible or wiki (or whatever you call your extended style sheet) either before or while you write. If this is you (and it needn’t be), then providing a copy of that document to your editor will save time for both of you (and may therefore save you money). Your editor may then add to what you already have in order to more fully record your stylistic choices.
    • You may write more organically, feeling your way through the story as you go (and as your characters may take you). If this is you, then your editor will likely prepare the style sheet based upon what they note as they work through the manuscript and as a result of discussions with you.

Why is a style sheet important?

The recording of your language, formatting and style choices will help your editor to suggest changes to improve your manuscript while retaining your voice, and will make life easier for those who prepare and check your book ready for printing (including the designer and proofreader). It will also save the time, expense and potential aggravation of having to answer the same questions repeatedly.

The details recorded on the extended style sheet will help maintain consistency within the story, making your fictional world feel authentic and keeping your reader’s attention. And the sheet will really come into its own if you decide to create a series. If you’ve ever tutted at a scene in a film where a character finishes their drink in one shot only for it to appear full again in the next, or at a TV series where a character is introduced as a dentist but then, two seasons later, is – without explanation – a doctor, then you’ll recognise the value of this aspect of the style sheet.

In short, style sheets provide an important record of the choices made in the writing and formatting of a book, and act as continuity guides that can save you from a poor review because your reader got distracted by a small inconsistency.

 

If you would like to discuss how I could help with your book, I would be happy to discuss that with you. Please get in contact with some initial details here.

 

Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by me.