How apostrophes work
Posted by: joe90 on 06 May 2005
Most of you (hopefully) have read the 'PRAT vs Pitch Accurate' thread in the hifi corner.
It is hilarious to watch the various posters slug it out.
Most of all was Adam Meredith's little dig at the beloved Central for putting apostrophes in every plural.
So in the interests of our Beloved Language I would like to be a uptight twat and explain how apostrophes actually work.
DON'Ts
Don't put an apostrophe in a plural!
E.G. (for example - not i.e. which stands for 'that is')
One dog, two dogs (not dog's)
One 250, two 250s (passively biamped not recommended)
DO put an apostrophe in a possessive!
e.g.
Adam's sense of humour (the sense of humour belonging to Adam)
the dog's bollocks (if you had two dogs, that would be the 'dogs' bollocks'
If the prpoer noun ends in an 'S' there is no need to dd a second 'S'
e.g. Jesus' cloak
Do put an apostrophe in a contraction!
Cannot - Can't
Do not - Don't
How's that fellas?
It is hilarious to watch the various posters slug it out.
Most of all was Adam Meredith's little dig at the beloved Central for putting apostrophes in every plural.
So in the interests of our Beloved Language I would like to be a uptight twat and explain how apostrophes actually work.
DON'Ts
Don't put an apostrophe in a plural!
E.G. (for example - not i.e. which stands for 'that is')
One dog, two dogs (not dog's)
One 250, two 250s (passively biamped not recommended)
(not to be confused with DOS - Disc Operating System)quote:DOs
DO put an apostrophe in a possessive!
e.g.
Adam's sense of humour (the sense of humour belonging to Adam)
the dog's bollocks (if you had two dogs, that would be the 'dogs' bollocks'
If the prpoer noun ends in an 'S' there is no need to dd a second 'S'
e.g. Jesus' cloak
Do put an apostrophe in a contraction!
Cannot - Can't
Do not - Don't
How's that fellas?
quote:Originally posted by Berlin Fritz:
This is not most other fora, this is the place Champagne Drinking Middle Aged Yuppies Post their wares JOhn, innit.
HOW ON EARTH can a yuppie (young and upwardly mobile person) be middle-aged FFS?
Now THAT'S pedantry - I mean, if you're middle-aged, you're not a yuppie! Grrrr.
As for text-speak mobile SMSing etc., it winds me up incessantly; why bother teaching languages at school AT ALL if no-one can be arsed to punctuate and use grammar correctly?
As an English Lit. A Level holder (doesn't always show admittedly!) mis-use of apostrophes and similar winds me up no end. I bet someone'll correct MY post somewhere along the line here though
(I can live with smileys, but that's the only concession to txtspk I'll make!).50 is the new 20 Dear Boy, haven't you heard ? and we can hardly go around calling them Muppy's now can we ?
Fritz Von I sat A level English Lit too, but I remind you the only requirement to enter that (language & grammar wise) exam was/is ? O Level English Language, Grade C & above, or whatever old bullshit they've decided to disguise them as these days Clive ?
Fritz Von I sat A level English Lit too, but I remind you the only requirement to enter that (language & grammar wise) exam was/is ? O Level English Language, Grade C & above, or whatever old bullshit they've decided to disguise them as these days Clive ?
quote:Originally posted by Berlin Fritz:
50 is the new 20 Dear Boy, haven't you heard ? and we can hardly go around calling them Muppy's now can we ?
Muppy - love it
As for O (aka GCSE) level English, got a B 8 months early - nicely! Shame about the A Level coursework (E) but managed to blag a C (still don't know how). Never was an A grade student - seemed pointless going the extra mile when a B would do. Call it lazy - I do!
quote:misuse
Dom,
Well you asked for it.
I stand corrected by myself! "mis-use" is apparently acceptable too. Well I never.