Apostrophes

theholyghost · 31-07-2012 1:51pm #1

I know nobody likes a grammar Nazi and you are not allowed to criticise someone in a thread for grammar etc. but the whole apostrophe thing is driving me mad.

Nobody seems to know how to use them and it is geting worse and worse.

One does NOT put an apostrophe after a singular word and before the S to make it a plural hence it is "boards.ie" NOT "board's.ie".

This particular problem seems to be spreading like wildfire accross the internet. Boards seems to be the worst.

There is even some joker on another forum complaining about the quality of "CV's" being sent to them. Are you really one to judge?

Dave! · 31-07-2012 1:51pm

Apostrophe's*

kfallon · 31-07-2012 1:51pm

Board's.ie......covering the real issues of the day!

shedweller · 31-07-2012 1:52pm

kfallon wrote: »

Board's.ie......covering the real issues of the day!

Issue's

thebigbiffo · 31-07-2012 1:52pm

completely agree - its a terrible state of affair's

Xavi6 · 31-07-2012 1:53pm

Well said OP

Yakult · 31-07-2012 1:53pm

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

TeddyTedson · 31-07-2012 1:53pm

What about this - when should people be using that?

daveyeh · 31-07-2012 1:54pm

shedweller wrote: »

Issue's

I's's'ue's

Hande hoche! · 31-07-2012 1:55pm

Semicolons are brilliant.

31-07-2012 1:55pm

http://www.angryflower.com/aposter3.jpg

Where To · 31-07-2012 1:56pm

Bollock's's'

Jesus Shaves · 31-07-2012 1:57pm

Was interested for a minute, the I realised it said apostrophes and not apostles'

Dravokivich · 31-07-2012 1:59pm

One does NOT put an apostrophe after a singular word and before the S to make it a plural hence it is "boards.ie" NOT "board's.ie".
One does NOT put an apostrophe after a singular word and before the S to make it a plural hence it is "boards.ie" NOT "board's.ie".
One does NOT put an apostrophe after a singular word and before the S to make it a plural hence it is "boards.ie" NOT "board's.ie".
One does NOT put an apostrophe after a singular word and before the S to make it a plural hence it is "boards.ie" NOT "board's.ie".
One does NOT put an apostrophe after a singular word and before the S to make it a plural hence it is "boards.ie" NOT "board's.ie".
One does NOT put an apostrophe after a singular word and before the S to make it a plural hence it is "boards.ie" NOT "board's.ie".
One does NOT put an apostrophe after a singular word and before the S to make it a plural hence it is "boards.ie" NOT "board's.ie".
One does NOT put an apostrophe after a singular word and before the S to make it a plural hence it is "boards.ie" NOT "board's.ie".
One does NOT put an apostrophe after a singular word and before the S to make it a plural hence it is "boards.ie" NOT "board's.ie".
One does NOT put an apostrophe after a singular word and before the S to make it a plural hence it is "boards.ie" NOT "board's.ie".
One does NOT put an apostrophe after a singular word and before the S to make it a plural hence it is "boards.ie" NOT "board's.ie".

...Ok, I think I got it now, thank's.

optimistic_ · 31-07-2012 2:00pm

I wanna know how to use a comma properly, please!?

mike65 · 31-07-2012 2:00pm

Has anybody actually read Eats Shoots & Leaves?

optimistic_ · 31-07-2012 2:01pm

I'm not even joking can we please do a class on commas?

smash · 31-07-2012 2:01pm

theholyghost wrote: »

One does NOT put an apostrophe after a singular word and before the S to make it a plural hence it is "boards.ie" NOT "board's.ie".

yea, exactly.

Siuin · 31-07-2012 2:02pm

What pisses me off is when someone writes "did'nt" or do'nt" - what letter are they trying to substitute?!

Dravokivich · 31-07-2012 2:03pm

optimistic_ wrote: »

I'm not even joking can we please do a class on commas?

Wouldn't be getting myself optimistic there now. :pac:

stevenmu · 31-07-2012 2:03pm

theholyghost wrote: »

One does NOT put an apostrophe after a singular word and before the S to make it a plural hence it is "boards.ie" NOT "board's.ie".

I see what you did they're.

Gbear · 31-07-2012 2:03pm

I've a question.

If 's denotes ownership (Jimmy's fridge) then is it true, as I heard recently, that it's can only be used to abbreviate it is or can you, as I believe, use it like this: the cat's tail - it's tail - the tail of it?

optimistic_ · 31-07-2012 2:04pm

Dravokivich wrote: »

Wouldn't be getting myself optimistic there now. :pac:

I just throw them around sentences willy nilly.
My work emails must be awful but I do try hard.

Gbear · 31-07-2012 2:04pm

Siuin wrote: »

What pisses me off is when someone writes "did'nt" or do'nt" - what letter are they trying to substitute?!

Did knot?
Do knot?

31-07-2012 2:06pm

Gbear wrote: »

I've a question.

If 's denotes ownership (Jimmy's fridge) then is it true, as I heard recently, that it's can only be used to abbreviate it is or can you, as I believe, use it like this: the cat's tail - it's tail - the tail of it?

No, you can't. It is possessive in most cases, but not with "it". It's always = it is.

edit: EXCEPT WHEN IT MEANS 'IT HAS' OR SOMETHING SIMILAR

optimistic_ · 31-07-2012 2:06pm

Siuin wrote: »

What pisses me off is when someone writes "did'nt" or do'nt" - what letter are they trying to substitute?!

Can the OP tell me if it's okay to abbreviate it is to "it's" and that is to "that's"?

Any tips on the use, of , commas?!

mathepac · 31-07-2012 2:06pm

theholyghost wrote: »

I know nobody likes a grammar Nazi ...

It is deeply offensive to describe anyone as a Nazi and the casual offensive name-calling on boards.ie is something I have asked the mods in AH to look at (their request). Terms like "Nazi", "retard", "dick", "alco", "junkie" fly around like suff at a wake.

As you mentioned the term in the first post in the thread I hereby award you today's Godwin with oak leaves and clusters.

theholyghost wrote: »

... and you are not allowed to criticise someone in a thread for grammar etc. but the whole apostrophe thing is driving me mad.

Nobody seems to know how to use them and it is geting worse and worse...

No will deflect me from my crusade to stop the waste of perfectly good apostrophes by misplacing them. Their price has already doubled this year on European Punctuation Markets.

I know how to use them correctly, I am an expert, and will continue to help others in their struggle with this most important and scarce punctuation resource.

boards.ie is certainly among the worst but not just for apostrophes; the standard of written English is abysmal.

later12 · 31-07-2012 2:07pm

theholyghost wrote: »

There is even some joker on another forum complaining about the quality of "CV's" being sent to them. Are you really one to judge?

There's a legitimate argument as to whether apostrophes ought to be an acceptable way to indicate plurality when using initialisms; some say that it should be, others say no. It's not quite as clear cut as board's.ie:eek:

31-07-2012 2:08pm

optimistic_ wrote: »

Can the OP tell me if it's okay to abbreviate it is to "it's" and that is to "that's"?

Any tips on the use, of , commas?!

here you go

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm

optimistic_ · 31-07-2012 2:10pm

bluewolf wrote: »

here you go

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm[/QUOTE]

My afternoon just got booked solid.

robman60 · 31-07-2012 2:11pm

Good post OP. The one I hate most is when someone uses an apostrophe in the third person, eg. "he see's it daily"

Diapason · 31-07-2012 2:11pm

Don't get me started on loose instead of lose.

Royal Legend · 31-07-2012 2:13pm

optimistic_ wrote: »

I wanna know how to use a comma properly, please!?

The standard one or the Oxford one? :eek:

And is bollock's's really two so its really balls or ball's, now I am confused

mathepac · 31-07-2012 2:14pm

where vs were
should of vs should have
there vs their, they're and vice versa
gotten vs got
!!!! vs .
..... vs .

and so on ...

starbelgrade · 31-07-2012 2:16pm

I honestly couldn't give two fuck's.

Gbear · 31-07-2012 2:17pm

bluewolf wrote: »

No, you can't. It is possessive in most cases, but not with "it". It's always = it is.

Then how do you denote possession with "it"? "Its"?
There's no logical reasoning behind it that I can see. Whether you use "its" or "it's" to denote possession, context makes it obvious that you're neither referring to the plural of "it" or to "it is".

Either way, the english language is an absolute load of self-contradictory, inconsistent bollocks. It has to be to be useful to so many different cultures.

Give me French or Spanish every day. Once you get beyond the nonsense of applying genders to tables it's really not so bad.

westendgirlie · 31-07-2012 2:18pm

: & ; <

what's the point of colons?

Royal Legend · 31-07-2012 2:18pm

is it nazis or Nazi's, also should N(n)azi always start with a capital N? Or is that alway's, ..............

Diapason · 31-07-2012 2:18pm

westendgirlie wrote: »

: & ; <
what's the point of colons?

Digestion.

Mr Benevolent · 31-07-2012 2:19pm

theholyghost wrote: »

I know nobody likes a grammar Nazi

Your right they're.

ejmaztec · 31-07-2012 2:20pm

The correct term is "up in the air comma thingamy", not apostrophe.

westendgirlie · 31-07-2012 2:20pm

Diapason wrote: »

Digestion.

Ah, I see said the blindman

Washington Irving · 31-07-2012 2:20pm

One that annoys me more is people not knowing the difference between 'then' and 'than'

starbelgrade · 31-07-2012 2:20pm

Gbear wrote: »

Give me French or Spanish every day. Once you get beyond the nonsense of applying genders to tables it's really not so bad.

But the gender thing throws up conundrums all of it's own - for example, would the Spanish equivalent of Boards be Las Boards or Los Boards?

And who decides if Boards is male or female?