Plural Form/Apostrophe S for Greek letters

[Senusret I]

Hey folks.....I know that the proper way to pluralize Greek letters is to just add an S, no apostrophe:

Alphas
Deltas
Kappas
Ques/Omegas

etc....

But HOW COME it looks so funny when it's a Greek letter ending in I?

Pi Chis
Alpha Phis
Xis
Rho Chis

Is it just me? Am I doing something wrong?

[PM_Mama00]

The same with ending with a "u".

Phi Mus.

Just looks like Phi Muss. That reminds me of puss. I duno.

[MissOh2Cute]

What's even worse is the when something belongs to ALL Phi Mus or Alpha Phis or Omegas and it becomes Omegas's (or isn't it supposed to be Omegas'?)

It just sounds funny saying it...almost like "Oh look at those Phi Museses cute shirts!"

And this is why I'm not an English major!

[GammaPhiBabe]

An apostrophe shows possession. An s (no apostrophe) added to the end of a word usually creates a plural.

If it is a singular possessive, like if one Phi Mu has a cute shirt, you would write, "Look at that Phi Mu's cute shirt." You wouldn't say that Phi Mus's shirt, because there's only ONE person that you're writing about.

If Delta Zeta has a cute bid day shirt and all their members are wearing it, you would write, "Look at the Delta Zetas' cute shirts." You add the s to the end of Delta Zeta to make it plural. Then you add the apostrophe to make it possessive.

How is it that you all got through high school and into college without understanding the difference between plural and possessive?

[Erik P Conard]

since when did an apostrophe infer plural? It was, at least,
'way back when, to indicate possession.
What kind of English is being taught/learned today?

[GammaPhiBabe]

since when did an apostrophe infer plural?

It doesn't. That's what I said above.

[Senusret I]

I fully understand the DIFFERENCE between plural and possessive.

I write books.

My QUESTION was why does the plural of Greek letters ending in I (and U) look funny?

[MissOh2Cute]

Originally posted by GammaPhiBabe

How is it that you all got through high school and into college without understanding the difference between plural and possessive?

Well what I was saying, which was implied when I said

Originally posted by MissOh2Cute
What's even worse is the when something belongs to ALL Phi Mus or Alpha Phis or Omegas and it becomes Omegas's

I was talking about when things LOOK funny and then I said it SOUNDS funny to say it when something is PLURAL AND POSSESSIVE.

[GammaPhiBabe]

Actually, it doesn't sound funny though. If it sounds funny then you are using it incorrectly. If you're using plural and possessive, you wouldn't say "Phi Museses" it would still be Phi Mus'. Sounds just the same as saying Phi Mus or Phi Mu's. And you wouldn't say Omegas's. You would say Omegas'. Get it?

[MissOh2Cute]

Oh, I'm so sorry you think my knowledge is below you. Apparently it seems you think the same about my humor.

I'm not an idiot. I have the common sense, grades, full ride AND test scores to prove it. I was just trying to make a joke. If calling me out seems to make you feel better, proceed.

[GammaPhiBabe]

Get a grip. Don't you think you're overreacting just a *tiny* bit? I certainly never said that I thought you were "beneath" me. In the immortal words of Charlie Brown, "Good grief."

[kddani]

why is it that the grammar threads always get ugly?

[Senusret I]

Originally posted by GammaPhiBabe
Get a grip. Don't you think you're overreacting just a *tiny* bit? I certainly never said that I thought you were "beneath" me. In the immortal words of Charlie Brown, "Good grief."

Maybe she is, maybe she isn't, but you've been condescending since your first post.

[Senusret I]

Originally posted by kddani
why is it that the grammar threads always get ugly?

Had I only known!!!!!!

[MissOh2Cute]

I'm sorry Senusret....didn't mean to ruin the thread