Usage and Grammar

Q. I have a photograph that I want to describe. It is a picture of two couples who are business friends. Would I write, “This is a photograph of the Gould’s and the Johnson’s” or “This is a photograph of the Goulds and the Johnsons”?

A. Our readers never tire of asking this question. What you need is a simple plural: one cat, two cats; one Gould, two Goulds. This is a photograph of the cats. This is a photograph of the Goulds.