Editing Apostrophe (section)

===Criticism===
Over the years, the use of apostrophes has been criticised. George Bernard Shaw called them "uncouth bacilli", referring to the apostrophe-like shape of many [[Bacillus|bacteria]]. The author and language commentator [[Anu Garg]] has called for the abolition of the apostrophe, stating "Some day this world would be free of metastatic cancers, narcissistic con men, and the apostrophe."<ref name=wordsmith>{{cite web |url=https://wordsmith.org/words/cats_pajamas.html |title=A.Word.A.Day: Cat's Pajamas |last=Garg |first=Anu |date=1 July 2019 |work=Wordsmith.org |access-date=3 July 2019 |archive-date=3 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703155349/https://wordsmith.org/words/cats_pajamas.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In his book ''American Speech'', linguist Steven Byington stated of the apostrophe that "the language would be none the worse for its abolition". Adrian Room, in his ''[[English Journal]]'' article "Axing the Apostrophe", argued that apostrophes are unnecessary, and context will resolve any ambiguity.<ref name=about>{{cite web |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/plural-grammar-1691638 |title=The Long Campaign to Abolish the Apostrophe |last=Nordquist |first=Richard |date=29 October 2008 |via=Grammar.About.com |access-date=1 May 2011 |archive-date=10 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810190826/http://grammar.about.com/b/2008/10/29/the-long-campaign-to-abolish-the-apostrophe.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> In a letter to the ''English Journal'', Peter Brodie stated that apostrophes are "largely decorative ... [and] rarely clarify meaning".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Brodie |first=Peter |date=November 1996 |title=Never Say ''Never'': Teaching Grammar and Usage |journal=The English Journal |publisher=National Council of Teachers of English |volume=85 |issue=7| page=78 |jstor=820514 |doi=10.2307/820514}}</ref> [[John C. Wells]], emeritus professor of phonetics at [[University College London]], says the apostrophe is "a waste of time".<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 September 2008 |title=Teaching correct spelling is a waste of time – and the apostrophe should be scrapped, says expert |url=http://www.standard.co.uk/news/teaching-correct-spelling-is-a-waste-of-time-and-the-apostrophe-should-be-scrapped-says-expert-6809038.html |access-date=18 August 2020 |work=Evening Standard |location=London |archive-date=14 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200914214555/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/teaching-correct-spelling-is-a-waste-of-time-and-the-apostrophe-should-be-scrapped-says-expert-6809038.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The Apostrophe Protection Society, founded by retired journalist John Richards in 2001, was brought to a full stop in 2019, after a period of 18 years in activity. Concerning that, Richards—then aged 96, and dashed by its unsuccess—exclaimed that "the ignorance and laziness present in modern times have won!"<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/dec/01/laziness-has-won-apostrophe-society-admits-its-defeat|title='Laziness has won': Apostrophe society admits its defeat |work=The Guardian |agency=PA Media |date=1 December 2019 |access-date=13 September 2020 |archive-date=13 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913124010/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/dec/01/laziness-has-won-apostrophe-society-admits-its-defeat |url-status=live}} See also: {{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/shortcuts/2019/dec/02/the-pedants-pedant-why-the-apostrophe-protection-society-has-closed-in-disgust#comment-136102201 |title=The pedants' pedant: Why the Apostrophe Protection Society has closed in disgust |work=The Guardian |date=3 December 2019 |access-date=3 December 2019 |archive-date=3 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203015851/https://www.theguardian.com/education/shortcuts/2019/dec/02/the-pedants-pedant-why-the-apostrophe-protection-society-has-closed-in-disgust#comment-136102201 |url-status=live}} The Society's [http://www.apostrophe.org.uk website] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090117000935/http://apostrophe.org.uk/ |date=17 January 2009}} "will however remain open for some time for reference and interest".</ref>

In a ''[[Chronicle of Higher Education]]'' blog, [[Geoffrey Pullum]] proposed that the apostrophe be considered the 27th letter of the alphabet, arguing that it is not a form of [[punctuation]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Pullum |first=Geoffrey K. |author-link=Geoffrey Pullum |title=Lingua Franca: Being an apostrophe |date=22 March 2013 |journal=[[Chronicle of Higher Education]] |url=https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2013/03/21/being-an-apostrophe/ |access-date=23 February 2023 |archive-date=23 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223235808/https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2013/03/21/being-an-apostrophe/ |url-status=live}}</ref>