Apostrophes

[acw]

Again I have spotted runaway apostrophes arriving in plurals.  Not just on this website, where opinions are FAR more important than grammatical accuracy anyway, but on TV, printed adverts and other "official" places. 

 

Am I the only one (other than wonderful Lynn Truss) who gets irked by this?  And was it TOTALLY pathetic of me to point out a museum's error of this type using a postit note based feedback board?  Is it really SO difficult to learn?!

 

Your opinions please...

[acw]

I'll agree with much of what you said Andy, but my dad works (perhaps used to, his job title/role gets changed so often I get lost) as a literacy and numeracy co-ordinator, and the government and LEAs ARE trying to make sure grammar gets taught properly. 

 

However, it's not just kids - I refuse to accept that suggestion.  It surely wasn't a child that type the ticker on the TV I saw the other week about so-and-so being "left out of Arsenals squad".  Surely also, sign-makers dont' emply children to advertise "apple's, orange's pear's �1/lb" etc. 

 

Grammar standards may be falling, but many adults display such a poor knowledge of grammar that children will pick up these poor habits from the world around them. 

 

PS - Love your second post.  It fully applies to me too!

[dml54]

It bugs me too.

[woofgang]

Anyone remember the open all hours where Arkwrght misspelt "special" as "speciol" and thoroughly fleeced the guy who went in to tell him??

I agree, it is annoying, but also like Andy sometimes my fingers won't do what my brain tells them and I am in too much of a hurry to proofread, or even worse, I do proofread and miss the typos!

[Grunty]

I was a bit dissappointed this week by an expensive-looking sign in Boots that spelt sanitary towels incorrectly.

[landie]

Who give's a ****

It winds me up too!

[delilahcat]

I can't stand it either!

Drove past a church yesterday that had spelt 'resurrection' incorrectly! (ie as 'resurection')

[delilahcat]

Sorry, that post should have been under the 'mispellings' thread (but I hate the misuse of apostrophes as well!)

[jno]

Hear hear. Go for it, acw. I suppose it's easy to mix up its and it's, and it can be hard to know what to do with eg Teachers Union (union belonging to teachers or just consisting of them?); but in general apostrophes are pretty straightforward.

[THECORBYLOON]

I was in a wee Tesco's about two months ago and seen a sign advertising jobs with the heading "VACANY'S"-I doubt there could have been more errors in one word!  

[cheyenne]

God there are more Important things in life,Im just happy to see people on hear helping other people and asking "questions"I could'nt give to monkeys if they can spell or not!!! Dont be so cold hearted!!Jeeezeees!

[Madge.B]

ദ്രാവിഡമധ്യമങ്ങള്'‍!!!

[acw]

I know there are more important things in this life.  Small things can be irksome too you know!

 

CORBY - I wish you'd written in to ask if the "vacany's" were for secretary's or proofreader's! :-P

[kempie]

Misuse of the apostrophe is the result of bad education and so I can forgive the perpetrator. The thing that really winds me up is TXT SPK, which is a conscious choice not to use proper written language.

[darcydark]

Noticed in a furniture shop window, expensive one, suits for sale and mentioming another store the claimed to beat there  prices. What do they teach in schools today?

[acw]

I'm a little saddened that everyone blames the schools/ policy makers "today".  As I posted earlier, the people making said signs are not currently AT school.  I really feel that it is more what children absorb from society and from their parents  that results in their habits (be they good or bad).  A different thread in this section talks about the mispronunciation of "asked" and says that children have picked it up from a Caribbean influence on British society.  This seems to back up my idea that it is environmental influences rather than education. 

 

I blame Hear'Say!

[Bert]

I disagree with jno. It's not easy to mix up its and it's - well, obviously it is, as so many people do it - what I mean is, it is easy to use them correctly. It is just about the only rule of punctuation that has no exceptions. I think it was in the 70s that standards started to decline. Now there is a whole generation of teachers who would probably find it difficult to punctuate, spell, and write grammatically.

[netibiza]

I know exactly when and where to use apostrophes - but am using a Spanish keyboard, so sometimes when typing in a hurry, I cannot always find the right key having originally trained on an old upright Imperial (typewriter that is, not computer!) so sometimes omit them rather than trundle round the keyboard with Caps on - caps off.