I didn’t find any mistakes in the papers this week, but then I have barely read them!
I was asked a grammar question though. A friend was making a personalised door sign for his boys (let’s call them Ernie and Bert) and asked: Which is correct? Ernie’s and Bert’s room? Or Ernie and Bert’s room?
Believe it or not, the same question had crossed my mind earlier in the week while proofreading. Technically, the room belongs to them both, but I went with the second option. You wouldn’t say ‘Mum’s and Dad’s room’, would you? You’d say ‘Mum and Dad’s room’. Wouldn’t you? Would you go over to ‘Chandler’s and Monica’s place’?
One way around it would be to have the sign simply saying ‘Ernie and Bert’ but that wasn’t an option!
Which would you choose, and why?
To see mistakes I’ve noticed in the newspapers, click here.
Notes by Nectar 