You know that post the other day that you wrote about the things that make you irritable? I think that the only things that really get my goat are incorrect punctuation and spelling. Mind you if you look through my blog you could probably find a few examples. Typos become rife when I have my sleepy head on whilst writing!
When in doubt leave it out was always my advice to my students. Once they had learned to do that then it was much easier to teach where it should go. I have a friend who goes around chalk boards outside cafes rubbing out the apostrophes - esoecially on ice's!
Drives me insane. I remember wanting to stop and speak to the people who put up roadside advertising sign that said, "For Sale Poodle's". Were they selling something that belonged to the poodles? I admit to misusing "it's" until a university professor circled it on one of my papers in red and wrote a scathing explanation of how to use it properly. -Jenn
I must admit to using it's instead of its on a printed form. Only after the forms were distributed did I notice my silly mistake. Luckily no-one else did!
Oh yes! Those errant speech marks. Somebody once wished me "Happy" Birthday in a card. I couldn't work out why they had put speech marks/quotation marks around "Happy". VERY bizarre!
I am with you on the apostrophe. Not least because father of son is a fully signed up (no, make that "sighed") member of the Keith Waterhouse fight on crimes against the apostophe.
However, dear Cro, don't try to run before you can walk. What's it with the full stops at the end of your blog posts' headings? It's not correct. Don't argue. It's not correct.
29 comments:
Potato's, pear's, plum's - you name it, someone will put an apostrophe where it's not needed !
Even my vegetable patch, Haddock's, is proud to display one; but there it's essential.
I am the last person that can comment on these errors but, I think that even I know when and when not to make use of the apostrophe. Greetings Maria x
A lot of English people don't even know what an apostrophe is, let alone how to use it. Illiteracy is endemic in the UK. Worrying.
You know that post the other day that you wrote about the things that make you irritable? I think that the only things that really get my goat are incorrect punctuation and spelling. Mind you if you look through my blog you could probably find a few examples. Typos become rife when I have my sleepy head on whilst writing!
Lovelygrey: I know it isn't, but why don't we have 'whil'st'?
Its and it's......I spent a lot of time teaching my former students the difference..wonder if it made any difference?
Arilx
When in doubt leave it out was always my advice to my students. Once they had learned to do that then it was much easier to teach where it should go.
I have a friend who goes around chalk boards outside cafes rubbing out the apostrophes - esoecially on ice's!
Touch typing and auto correct are making us forget grammar.
Not a lot of people type in Hindi and Punbjabi, written using Devnagri and Gurmukhi scripts, so these languages are safe till now.
We all make mistakes, but most of us know that we've made them and correct ourselves. It's the curse of the computer age.
I had all those little things beaten into me as a young child.... I'm sure I still make silly mistakes though.
English is a strange language, but wonderful once we've learned its little nuances.
The Ancient and Royal Order of Greengrocer's is the only sector of society who are allowed free and unfettered use of the apostrophe.
Auto correct/Spell check is responsible for a big decline in people's ability to spell. Texting is even worse, with all its abbreviations.
And one has to wonder why!
I love the tattoo....must get one!!
A greengrocer once saved the life of a king, and was granted a royal favour to use the apostrophe in anyway he wished, in perpetuity.
It's hilarious.
Drives me insane. I remember wanting to stop and speak to the people who put up roadside advertising sign that said, "For Sale Poodle's". Were they selling something that belonged to the poodles? I admit to misusing "it's" until a university professor circled it on one of my papers in red and wrote a scathing explanation of how to use it properly. -Jenn
I must admit to using it's instead of its on a printed form. Only after the forms were distributed did I notice my silly mistake. Luckily no-one else did!
I could rant on and on about this, Cro. And don't even get me started on quotation marks when nothing is being quoted!
Oh I like the idea of whil'st! x
I was hoping to raise some blood pressure!
Oh yes! Those errant speech marks. Somebody once wished me "Happy" Birthday in a card. I couldn't work out why they had put speech marks/quotation marks around "Happy". VERY bizarre!
I am with you on the apostrophe. Not least because father of son is a fully signed up (no, make that "sighed") member of the Keith Waterhouse fight on crimes against the apostophe.
However, dear Cro, don't try to run before you can walk. What's it with the full stops at the end of your blog posts' headings? It's not correct. Don't argue. It's not correct.
U
I am on a quest to teach the world about punctuation and everything else grammatical.
Love,
Janie
I find "that" very "bizarre" too.
I just enjoy being controversial.
If I could guarantee my knowledge, I'd join you. Good for you!
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