When Taylor Swift introduced on the Grammys that the title of her new album can be “The Tortured Poets Division,” what was your response?
Perhaps it was: “My gosh! Her first new album in additional than a 12 months. I can’t wait!”
Perhaps it was: “Ho-hum. I’d fairly take heed to Shostakovich/Metallica/Child Shark.”
Or, simply probably, it may have been:
“Shouldn’t there be an apostrophe in that title?”
Sure, loads of individuals, upon listening to the most important music announcement of the 12 months, began serious about diacritical marks after which speaking about them on social media.
“I ruined this album launch for my college students by making it a lesson on apostrophe utilization,” Erin Weinberg, an teacher within the division of English, theater, movie and media on the College of Manitoba, wrote on X. (Others opined through Reddit, TikTok and elsewhere.)
Should you do insist on including an apostrophe, there are two potential locations. It might be earlier than the “S”: The Tortured Poet’s Division. Which means the division belongs to only one poet.
“Is it a division only for a single tortured poet, the place they will sit alone and write tortured poetry?” Weinberg requested.
Or after the “S”: The Tortured Poets’ Division, a division of many poets. “A chosen division the place all tortured poets can encourage collectively?” Weinberg requested.
However the title because it formally reads has no apostrophe: “The Tortured Poets Division.” It’s like these different nice apostrophe-less artistic endeavors “Useless Poets Society” and “The Child-Sitters Membership.” On this case, the division doesn’t belong to the poets. “Poets” describes the division.
“Nouns might be attributive, which simply means we will use them to explain issues the identical means we use adjectives,” mentioned Mignon Fogarty, the host of the “Grammar Lady” podcast. “‘Tortured Poets’ is telling us what sort of division it’s, the identical means ‘Cosmetics’ is telling us what sort of division we’re visiting at Macy’s.”
So which means ought to the title be? Earlier than you determine {that a} feud on the size of Kanye West versus Taylor Swift is breaking out, bear in mind that the consensus {of professional} grammarians is: It’s actually as much as Swift.
First off, not one of the doable titles is incorrect. “Every model is grammatically right, however conveys its personal distinctive that means,” Weinberg mentioned.
And grammarians say not solely that Swift has the selection of which to make use of, she in all probability additionally has chosen the proper one for her meant that means.
“I discover the apostrophe-free choice to be by far essentially the most interesting and logical choice,” mentioned Ellen Jovin, writer of “Insurgent With a Clause: Tales and Ideas From a Roving Grammarian.” “I’m guessing there are a number of tortured poets, and I perceive ‘poets’ adjectivally. It’s a division of tortured poets. I wouldn’t need an apostrophe there! I belief Taylor Swift’s apostrophe use.”
“The title is ok with out an apostrophe; the Division of Veterans Affairs doesn’t use one,” mentioned Mark Bulik, the assistant requirements editor at The New York Instances. “What’s adequate for the official nomenclature of the USA authorities needs to be adequate for Taylor Swift.”
Weinberg likes Swift’s alternative as nicely: “I’d like to think about the tortured poets collectively hanging out collectively in a division of their very own, an area to really feel their emotions and write about them in a supportive surroundings.”
As a result of Taylor Swift is in all places and all the things as of late, you gained’t be shocked to be taught that this isn’t the primary time she has made grammar-related information.
In 2015, a fan pointed out that an apostrophe gave the impression to be incorrectly lacking from “it’s” in some handwritten lyrics Swift had posted.
Swift responded by noting that the apostrophe was there however obscured by the trailing leg of a “Y” above it. She completed by politely mentioning three errors within the fan’s personal publish.
Is there something Taylor Swift can’t do?
