Misuse of the apostrophe.

[Lucy Thomas]

It could be that I'm simply noticing more examples of apostrophe misuse than I used to. However, I do think that it is more widespread than it was. Several recent bad examples I have seen include the sign outside my local pub which states 'two course's for the price of one' on its menu board.

On the Centre Parks website there is a page about the amenities at each park with the heading 'restaurants and bistro's.

In my local Somerfield supermarket today there was a sign at the basket only tills which read, 'trolley's must not be used at these tills'

In the last example it is interesting that they use an apostrophe in the word trolleys but not in tills. Perhaps the author wasn't sure so hedged his bets to ensure that it would be at least half correct.

I think that the more this grammatical error rears its ugly head, the more it seems to be accepted as correct.

What do you think?

[Bewlay Bros]

To be honest I couldn't give a monkeys' knacker (is that right?)

[squarebear]

Surely that should be "Centre Park's website" Lucy? :o)

Someone pointed out yesterday that our very own Answerbank also suffers with apostrophe misuse. Check out the sub-categories under Music.

[Skreecheeboy]

Hi Lucy! Are you an english teacher?

[Gromit]

I have lots of trouble remembering how to use apostrophes, not sure which of these is correct...?

This is a pendant's post

or This is a pendants post

or This is a pedants' post

[Skreecheeboy]

It's pedants' gromit. I believe it's Center Parc's.

[Quizmonkey]

For heaven's sake, it's not that complicated! The poster originally wrote "the Centre Parks website" which is obviously correct without the apostrophe. "A pedants' post" is possible, assuming a number of pedants, but more likely would be "a pedant's post".

[squarebear]

But surely it is the website belonging to Centre Park hence Centre Park's website? If the company is called Centre Parks then it would be "Centre Parks' website". No?

[Marijn]

Yes it is getting worse. It does make a difference. Why do people try to use them when they don't know how to? More often than not, they are put where they're not needed.

[Lucy Thomas]

The only error is that the company is called Centre Parcs, not Parks. There should be no apostrophe in Centre Parcs because Parcs is a plural and not possessive. If the company was called Centre Parc then you would indeed be correct, but it isn't and you aren't.

I'm not an English teacher, just someone who listened in school in the 1970s.

[Goodsoulette]

This doesnt annoy me half as much as people saying things are ironic when they quite clearly aren't. One user here frequently claims things are ironic but he uses Alanis Morrissette's irony.

[jno]

the company is Centre Parcs so apart from using English spelling Lucy is perfectly correct. (It would be Centre Parcs' website but the Centre Parcs website - like you'd say the AnswerBank website rather than the AnswerBank's website.)

I think some people may feel that words ending in a vowel sound need an apostrophe - hence bistro's - but I must say I've never seen trolley's before. And the concept of adding an apostrophe after the S because it's a plural completely befuddles people. It's actually fairly easy to teach all this to 10-year-olds, but I suspect nobody bothers to do so any more. And now I hear the National Union of Bad Teacher's is agitating to abolish the distinction between pedants and pendants. It's all too much.

If anyone spots any typo's in this post, please let me know.

[sally1001]

I agree, lucy.
the world has gone to pot. First its appostrophies, next it will be capital letters then we'll all be writing in text language.

[Gromit]

Still not quite got it,

Is it...?

A load of b0llocks

or

A load of b0llock's

[squarebear]

Ur poest seam's ok to me jno.

[Goodsoulette]

I actually think it's getting out of practise that causes the mistakes. My mum knows it, I know it and my 6 year old understands it and he was taught it at school.

[Skreecheeboy]

It's CENTER!!! They use the American spelling of Centre.

[Lucy Thomas]

Practice, but I digress.

I think the joke is on you Gromit.

Don't decry us for having standards, decry those who have none.

[Gromit]

I would much rather read an intelligent question, regardless of its punctuation and spelling, than one that is wholely unoriginal and boring.

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question19 2132-2.html

Many people misuse apostrophies - get over it.

[warpig3]

Well said Gromit.

[Lucy Thomas]

Gromit. To give the reply, 'get over it' means that you have run out of intelligent things to say.

You regularly post questions in the news section to which I think, 'what is this idiot moaning about'. However, Instead of telling you to 'get over it', I try to give a reasoned and intelligent reply. You may not agree with what I write but it is usually a lot more constructive than 'get over it'.