maths is - maths's or maths'?

How should it be for 'maths is'?

Maths's or maths'?

Thanks.

I wouldn't use a contraction at all in that case. At least, not in the written language. But if you were to use one anyway, definitely go with the first one. The second one can only be the possessive of "maths".

(By the way, we Americans neatly solve the problem with that particular word by always using "math" in the singular. ;))

- Kef

"Maths" isn't a plural; it just retains the -s from "mathematics" (cf. "physics", "economics").

Thanks for the correction.

<<"Maths" isn't a plural; it just retains the -s from "mathematics" (cf. "physics", "economics").>>

"maths" can be a plural. "I took three maths".

"Maths is..."

I dunno if this is typical throughout the US, but in the South (and from my experience in California) you just say "Math" or "Mathematics."

"Maths" is common in the UK (and probably parts of the Commonwealth), equivalent to "math" in the States. I suppose the UK version is more logical since it's short for "mathematics," plural.

Also up here in the Northeast, I've only ever heard people say "math" or "mathematics".

I don't think anybody says "maths" in the US (or Canada). Reading the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was the first time I encountered the word "maths".

<<I don't think anybody says "maths" in the US (or Canada). Reading the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was the first time I encountered the word "maths".>>

Yeah, we don't use "maths" here in the United States, except for the fact that math courses are often referred to as "maths" for short.

The reasons given for the British version "maths" are correct. Both the British and the American version could be considered correct and logical, depending on how you look at it. I believe that the reason the newly established independent Americans dropped the "u" in so many words, such as colour, honour, labour, etc, as well as dropping one of the double letters in many other words (labelled, etc) as well as so many other variations, was a deliberate intention to disassociate from "British customs" in as many ways as possible, not only with the Language but as many other things as possible. They can't be blamed for that at all - a new and independent country with new and independent ways of doing things without any interference from those nasty Brits far away across the turbulent ocean....

<<How should it be for 'maths is'?

Maths's or maths'?

Thanks.>>

Maths is.

Damian, I beg to differ, the reason American spelling is different is because Americans have tried to make spelling more according to pronunciation. It was definitely not deliberate, the British spellings are seen in not-so-old American newspapers and books, I wish I could remember a particular example at the moment but I can't.