Dictionary entry for farmers markets show three forms of variation: farmers markets, farmers marketsAnd farmers markets. You might come across any of these styles on your travels to buy fresh, locally grown produce—or maybe even all three.
No pesticides were used in the writing of this article.
The apostrophe is one of the more intriguing punctuation marks, so much so that the British have a term (a fitting word for this article) for such a misplaced punctuation mark: the greengrocer’s apostropheis defined based on the concept that the manual mark of the product seller is likely to have an apostrophe where the simple plural is called for (e.g.: radish more than radish).
Of course, single quotes are used to indicate ownership. This leads to the question of whether an apostrophe in farmers markets is suitable. Looking at published uses will find substantial evidence for all three:
This probably explains the double sense of relief and guilt she felt when Oliver’s number popped up on her phone while she was shopping for groceries on Saturday. farmers markets. — Sana Krasikov, New YorkersAugust 27, 2018
I used a mixture of crimini, white, and shiitake mushrooms, although you can use whatever looks best from the store or farmers markets. — Cheri Swaboda, OregonianNovember 8, 2005
Whenever something happened at Beacon, Pete was there. Hat Parade, Spirit of Beacon Day, farmers markets–Pete is always there. — Brendan Tween, GothamistJanuary 30, 2014
There are two questions that need to be asked. First, do we think that the market belongs to the farmers, or is it merely tied to them? Second, if we think that the market is owned by farmers (thus encouraging property construction), should we use singular or plural ownership?
One way to answer the first question is to look at similar phrases. Clinic tends to include apostrophes consistently, which makes sense if you think of the office as a business that belongs to a doctor. (If there are many doctors sharing the business, you can write clinic).
Style guides attempt to distinguish between possessive phrases and those that are purely descriptive. Since farmers’ markets are where farmers gather, but that doesn’t necessarily belong to farmers, many style guides recommend removing the apostrophe and simply treating plural nouns as modifiers. : farmers marketsa market for farmers.
You can think of similar phrases that imply a certain relationship between a thing and the people associated with it. Writers Conference, teachers strikeor dancing couple would seem to suggest a descriptive dynamic similar to farmers marketswhile Renter’s Insurance (insurance purchased by renters) and teacher’s room (teacher lounge) hints at ownership.
For farmers markets, if you consider this phrase property, then you need to question whether the market “belongs” to one farmer or to many farmers. If it is a farmer selling goods, you can add a simple apostrophe-S ARRIVE farmerbut if many farmers come together for this purpose, you will have the right to style it farmers markets.
Categories: Usage Notes
Source: vothisaucamau.edu.vn
