Avoid Apostrophe When a Noun is Descriptive, not Possessive

In my last punctuation column, I wrote about how to use the apostrophe when creating plurals of letters and numbers.

Now I’d like to clarify why you don’t use the apostrophe in some cases where you might be tempted to add one.

Which is correct?

  • United Mine Workers Health & Pension Plan
  • United Mine Workers’ Health & Pension Plan
  • a teachers college
  • a teachers’ college
  • a Mac users help group
  • a Mac users’ help group

In all of these cases, the first example is correct. United Mine Workers and teachers and Mac users describe rather than show possession.

In general, apply this guideline: The apostrophe usually is not added if for or by rather than of would be appropriate in the longer form:

  • the Health & Pension Plan for members of the United Mine Workers
  • a college for teachers
  • a help group for Mac users

Here are some other examples that don't require an apostrophe:

  • the nurses station
  • a Green Bay Packers lineman
  • a writers guide

There is nothing simple about our language, and the spell-check software that many of us rely on does not discern all of the potential applications of the apostrophe. I learned that when I used it on this column!

Ruthless Editor follows The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law guidelines for word and punctuation usage. Webster's New World College Dictionary serves as a secondary reference.

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