Correcting Street Sign Grammar in Cambridge with Marker Pens
In Cambridge, a few people took things into their own hands when they noticed that some street signs were missing important punctuation. They thought the signs looked confusing or wrong, so they quietly fixed them by adding apostrophes using marker pens. This kind of act is often called Guerrilla grammar because it is done quietly and unofficially by people who care deeply about language rules.
Why the Council Removed Apostrophes
The Cambridge City Council decided to remove apostrophes from new street signs, following national naming guidelines used for emergency services and official databases. According to the council, extra punctuation could make it harder to search for locations during an emergency call. Their goal was to avoid errors, not to ignore grammar rules.
One example is a sign that originally read “Scholars Way leading to Pepys Court and Fitzgerald Place.” A grammar campaigner added apostrophes by hand, turning it into “Scholar’s Way” and “Pepy’s Court.”
Punctuation Still Counts
Kathy Salaman, the director of a local group called the Good Grammar Company, said she supports whoever is behind the corrections. She didn’t name them, but added that it would be hard not to fix a missing apostrophe if you were walking around with a marker pen.
Salaman pointed out that this issue goes beyond being picky. In her view, proper grammar helps people write clearly, and signs filled with small mistakes send the message that grammar doesn’t matter. For younger people especially, that can be confusing. She even joked that if apostrophes disappear now, commas might be next.
Language Awareness in Public Spaces
Fixing official signs with a marker pen isn’t exactly ideal, but it highlights how strongly some people feel about grammar and clear communication. There may be better ways to promote language awareness without bending the rules, yet even something as small as a missing apostrophe can spark bigger conversations about how we use and understand language every day.
References
Hultgren, A. K. (Ed.). (2016). Grammar, Context, and Meaning. Walton Hall, Milton Keynes.
'Campaigners wield marker pens in war against punctuation cull', 2014, The Guardian, 24 January, viewed 52 August 2025, (Link).