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Apostrophes help!

Okay so I'm editing my CV and did some interning with Barnardo's and need help with the apostrophes.

Would this be correct:
• Undertaking a complete audit of Barnardo’s’ competitor charities

I don't think a word can have 2 apostrophes can it?
Reply 1
Avatar for Susanne839
Susanne839
Fairly sure it can't.
I think I get what you're saying and if i'm right then its something that belongs to barnardo's, which already has an apostrophe??
In which case i think it still counts as something belonging to Barnardo, so 1 apostrophe is enough :biggrin:
Reply 2
Avatar for minnieuk
minnieuk
8
It's an odd one but I would just use the one apostrophe. I notice that's what they do on their own website - they refer to Barnardo's shops for example.

If it was me, I'd probably reword the sentence and say something like 'undertaking a complete audit of the competitor charities of Barnardo's.

But I don't think most people would look twice at it if you just used one apostrophhe.
Reply 3
Avatar for splonk
splonk
The reason for the confusion is that Barnardo's as the name of the charity is an abbreviation of what it was originally called. "Dr. Barnardo" is his actual name and the charity began under the name Dr. Barnardo's Homes (hence the apostrophe being in that position, to indicate the possession of the homes by Dr. Barnardo). It then got shortened to Dr. Barnardo's, and then simply to Barnardo's. So the word is already showing possession of something, they just lopped off the other half of the name of the charity without changing the grammar of the first word.

...which is my incredibly long-winded way of saying that there is no need to add another apostrophe i.e. Barnardo's is fine.
(edited 13 years ago)

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