somniloquence

I love these kinds of posts. No matter how much I learn about grammar, usage and the English language, it's never enough. And I love having alternative explanations for how to remember what is what.

I can't speak to when it started being taught in American schools historically, but anecdotally, when I was in elementary school back in the '60s in California (that's 19-60s ;0 ), this is exactly how we were to taught to use apostrophe esses. Never put an 's after an "s" was the rule. It's a rule that's driven me slightly insane ever since. Thanks for the clarification and the historical background! :-)