Find the Error 9

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(Extract adapted from an advert in a catalogue picked up
at a national high-street store)

 

What kind of mistake do you see? (Choose one:)

  • apostrophes
  • articles
  • doesn't make sense
  • punctuation
  • singular / plural
  • spelling


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Answer: apostrophes

It must be hard being called 'Williams', because people often seem to get this name wrong when it comes to making it possessive. This superstar singing sensation's name is 'Owen Williams'. It says so in the advert. But in the title the author has altered his name to 'Owen William', then added apostrophe 's' to make it possessive – the 'Greatest Hits' belong to 'Owen William'. However, the 'Greatest Hits' should belong to 'Owen Williams', so the correct title should read: 'Owen Williams's Greatest Hits' – the apostrophe 's' coming after the full name of this mega-selling balladeer. There are differing opinions about this. Some editors would favour Owen Williams' over Owen Williams's, but Owen William's is completely wrong, because it alters the spelling of the singer's last name by missing off the final 's'.


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