Boys, Boys', Girls, Girls'

I don't think you're really English.

 

you're right. I'm an American.

 

You Continentals take far too many liberties with the Mother Tongue.

 

I agree with you Simon but the style changes because every paper has its own "style."

 

THis is one of my pet peeves.

Its boys and girls no apostrophe. It's not possessive, it's descriptive. Simple.

As for men's and women's basketball, it is still be descriptive, not possessive. But because of the type of words they are, you have to put the apostrophe-s. I really don't think it should be a newspaper style thing. It's just proper grammar.

When you say it is a boys basketball game, you are describing the basketball game by saying boys are playing. The boys don't own the game.

Just my two cents.

 

Agreed with Sam Craig on this one. That's how we do it, too.