Recently in this space we talked about how, when two punctuation marks bump up against each other, one can sometimes preclude the other. For example, a phrase that would normally be followed by a ...

Apostrophes are the curly floating commas in sentences that usually indicate possession or a contraction. There are a few set phrases and holidays, however, that also use apostrophes. In fact, ...

Alas, the Apostrophe Protection Society is no more. John Richards, who founded the Society in 2001 in order to help maintain the correct use of the “much abused” punctuation mark, has thrown in the ...

'The apostrophe's chequered history poses enormous challenges not only for learners of English, but clearly for native speakers too'. Photo: Alamy What did the apostrophe ever do to deserve this? To ...

With spoken English you can trust your instincts but with punctuation you should stick to the rules. When it comes to grammar and word usage, English speakers can trust their instincts. For example, ...