Apostrophes

Gbear

Gbear wrote: »

Then how do you denote possession with "it"? "Its"?

yep

Funglegunk

bluewolf wrote: »

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

And:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apostrophe

Dravokivich

Dean09 wrote: »

The one that does my head in the most is using "then" instead of "than".

Eg: I'm taller then you.

No no, you're taller THAN me.

It's clearly a short way of saying,

"I'm taller, then you're the next tallerer."

It'd look weird if I was to write,

"I'm tallest, then you're the next taller."

Your problem is you're short though. Shorties always have a complex.

Diapason

Dravokivich wrote: »

It'd look weird if I was to write,

If I were...

Dravokivich

Diapason wrote: »

If I were...

Or "am," even.

jester77

bluewolf wrote: »

here you go

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

I feel like I am 7 years old and back in primary school all over again

PK2008

theholyghost wrote: »

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?

I'll be sure to watch my p's and q's around you OP........;)

sebastianlieken

.... .- .. .--- ..- ... - .-- .- ... - . -.. -.-- --- ..- .-. - .. -- .

PizzamanIRL

Teacher, where do question marks go!

im invisible

Knew a lad who had arse cancer, he only has a semi-colon now

recylingbin

theholyghost wrote: »

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?

missing comma.

mickrock

bluewolf wrote: »

It's always = it is.

No, not always.

Davidius

It'll be standard orthography soon enough.

Turtwig

bluewolf wrote: »

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

It has.
e.g It's been raining all day.

theholyghost

recylingbin wrote: »

missing comma.

From my original post:

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.

CrazyRabbit

westendgirlie wrote: »

: & ; <

---

what's the point of colons?

Very useful in some programming languages for assigning multiple values to an array or separating command parameters.

CrazyRabbit

Has anyone mentioned the complete absence of the plural possessive use of the apostrophe in common written communication?

E.G:
[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica]Singers' voices.
The cousins' favourite uncle[/FONT].

That bugs me.

Toby Take a Bow

theholyghost wrote: »

From my original post:

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.

I think it's okay if somebody goes on about how annoying a certain grammar mistake/spelling is and then makes himself look completely stupid by making a mistake himself.

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Has anyone mentioned the complete absence of the plural possessive use of the apostrophe in common written communication?

E.G:
[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica]Singers' voices.
The cousins' favourite uncle[/FONT].

That bugs me.

Do you prefer cousins's, singers's?

im invisible

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Has anyone mentioned the complete absence of the plural possessive use of the apostrophe in common written communication?

E.G:
Singers' voices.
The cousins' favourite uncle

That bugs me.

my favourite apostrophe, that one

Medusa22

The use of the term 'grammar nazi's' makes me especially angry. I also wish that people knew the difference between:

1. Here or hear

2. Their, there or they're

3. excessive and incorrect use of apostrophes

4. quiet and quite

I certainly don't have perfect grammar but I do look something up if I'm unsure and I can apply the basics.

theholyghost

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

I think it's okay if somebody goes on about how annoying a certain grammar mistake/spelling is and then makes himself look completely stupid by making a mistake himself.

I was just making a general point about a phenomena of modern English usage. I purposely kept it general and avoided singling out an individual in case it would make them feel embarrased or bad about themselves. As I always say, "love the sinner, not the sin" but then again I'm a shocking nice bloke.

Jernal

Jernal wrote: »

It has.
e.g It's been raining all day.

Okay, you know what I meant

Diapason

theholyghost wrote: »

phenomena

Do DOO be-do-do.

Angeles

mathepac wrote: »

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.

The level of offense taken by these words is always in the eye of the beholder.
Why exactly is being called a Grammar-Nazi deeply offensive to you?

"Oh darn you mister! You have pointed out my missing apostrophe! Hence forth, I must deeply insult you by calling you a Grammar Nazi which implies that you are fanatically dedicated to controlling or seeking control over the correcting of words.. HaaH Haaaa take that you heathen!!"

Doesn't seem so bad now, does it?

pickarooney

mathepac wrote: »

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.
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.

Comma-splicing like a machine!

Dravokivich

PK2008 wrote: »

I'll be sure to watch my p's and q's around you OP........;)

Grammar is a drinking game now?

pickarooney

theholyghost wrote: »

a phenomena

Dear Lord.

Ms.M

"I would of"

Ms.M

Ms.M wrote: »

"I would of"

the your/you're thing is starting to bug me again lately

your stupid
your wrong
your dead

my stupid? my wrong? rarghhh

Wishbone Ash

"Todays Special's" - as seen on a Dublin restaurant recently.

That amusement arcade on Westmoreland Street used to have this motto over their door - "It's not the cards your dealt but the way you play them".

:rolleyes:

Ms.M

bluewolf wrote: »

the your/you're thing is starting to bug me again lately

your stupid
your wrong
your dead

my stupid? my wrong? rarghhh

Me too! Except it's the grammar error I'm most likely to make! I don't know why. Makes me so mad when I have to edit them out. :mad:

Pherekydes

CruelCoin wrote: »

First world problems.

Can, we, also, please, discuss, the, use, of ; ?

Just replace all of your punctuation marks with exclamation marks!!!!!!!!

Everyone else does it!!!!!!!

Although some people terminate every sentence with a question mark?

Pherekydes

Pherekydes wrote: »

Just replace all of your punctuation marks with exclamation marks!!!!!!!!

Everyone else does it!!!!!!!

Although some people terminate every sentence with a question mark?

i'll terminate them

Pherekydes

bluewolf wrote: »

i'll terminate them

You need lesson's!!!!!!!!!!?

Me: Are you going to the Grammar Olympics!!!!!!
You: [totally like confused]
Me: I'm entered in the punctuation contest?

See!!! Simples??

Pherekydes

Pherekydes wrote: »

You need lesson's!!!!!!!!!!?

Me: Are you going to the Grammar Olympics!!!!!!
You: [totally like confused]
Me: I'm entered in the punctuation contest?

See!!! Simples??

there there, it'll all be ok
the doctors will be here soon

emeraldstar

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

"Todays Special's" - as seen on a Dublin restaurant recently.

Teehee

two wheels good

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?

That's not the case:

its is like his and her (a possessive pronoun). No apostrophe
For example:
John: His feet were sore. His foot was sore
The dog: Its paws were sore . Its paw was sore


It's is a contraction of it is.
The apostrophe has nothing to do with ownership/possession. It signifies the absent letter i

It is raining again. It's raining again

confusticated

Gbear wrote: »

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.

But then instead of a nice little apostrophe you have to use "the X of the Y". In French anyway, I don't speak any Spanish. It makes sentences really long - "my friend's sister's party" becomes "la soirée de la soeur de ma copine" which is a pain to say often.

The "its" thing is explained above and isn't that hard. Context often makes stuff obvious - "I was their last Saturday" clearly means, from context, that they were in a certain place last Saturday. It's still wrong! [Edit: it pains me to read the part in inverted commas, and to know that I posted it.]

I less than three the apostrophe.

--Kaiser--

Pherekydes wrote: »

Although some people terminate every sentence with a question mark?

Australians? You know, to convey the upward inflection?

Iwannahurl

theholyghost wrote: »

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

Nobody seems to know how to use them and it is geting getting 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 across 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 him. Are you Is he really one to judge?

FYP.

Turtwig

confusticated wrote: »

I less than three the apostrophe.

" i < 3d' " Sorry but you can't have inequalities with complex or imaginary numbers.

born2bwild

two wheels good wrote: »

That's not the case:

its is like his and her (a possessive pronoun).

Mine/yours/its/his/hers/ours/theirs/yours are possessive pronouns.

My/your/its/his/her/our/their/your are possessive adjectives.