Use of apostrophe's

[The Grave Maurice]

...I also think that English as a language is the most appalling mish mash of silly rules (which half the time aren't rules like "i before e") and random construction etc, that it's a wonder anyone can speak and write it correctly.

I'm not so sure about that. It still seems to me that English is the most modern of the modern languages. Sure it's still got some picky rules, but look at French. There you've always got to worry about what adjective agrees with what noun, and you've got to know the gender of the noun before you even start. And don't even talk to me about the verbs. In German you've got all the same problems, but you have to save up your verbs until the end of the sentence. I dunno, all in all, I think English is a pretty easy ride.

[johns]

I reckon "its", meaning "belonging to it", should properly be rendered as "it's".

(just winding up Caz here).

I agree.... this was a rule I just couldn't get my head round until the ex-missus (who is a grammar Nazi) drummed it into me one day by saying something along the lines of...

it is = it's
possessive apostrophe means something like "Fred's hat"
EXCEPT when you get "its hat"

which illustrates the lack of consistency that I've always struggled with in English.

I remember the "i before e except after c" rule being drummed into me at school (thank you Parkside Middle and North Bromsgrove High) and then me going on to spell "nieghbour" etc which do not follow this "rule" at all. According to Wikipedia which I've just had a wee look at, 66% of words using ie/ei are exceptions to this rule.... some f*ck*n rule that was then eh... twats!

I also think (therefore I'm right) that words ending in "s" should look like "Banks's Beer" not "Banks' Beer"

I drive 2 wee boys to and from school every day and to brighten up the 20 minute journey each way I've invented some "I spy" type games and so on which led to one of the boys asking about the apostrophe as we saw a "Mick's Van Hire" this one day.

I explained it well enough and he's happy.

A few days later we see "Banks' Trucking" or something and he wanted to know why there wasn't an "s" after the apostrophe.

I can't exactly remember what I said now but I basically tried to explain it with something like "there's not supposed to be 2 letter s with an apostrophe between them".
He thought it was silly. I think he's right and he's only 8.

[sdreid]

Did anyone attend the movie Sssssss' premier back in 1973? Ain't that right?

[Stephen Thomas]

I reckon "its", meaning "belonging to it", should properly be rendered as "it's".

(just winding up Caz here).

[The Grave Maurice]

There is a remarkably thorough discussion of apostrophes in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostrophe
The article even deals with the "St James's" question that I raised on the original thread.

[johns]

Although I have sympathy with "Apostrophe Hitlers" and the like and I lean toward their way of thinking, I also think that English as a language is the most appalling mish mash of silly rules (which half the time aren't rules like "i before e") and random construction etc, that it's a wonder anyone can speak and write it correctly. On second thoughts, I would wager that not one single person on Earth uses English correctly all of the time.

[Chris]

It would take a scoundrel with rather more time than I have to correct entire peoples' apostrophe usage. Where would one start? The peoples of Europe and America perhaps?

I'm limited to seeing people's usage on the message boards - and I almost always limit myself to correcting those who have just slagged someone else off for something far more serious.

Thats more like it! I knew you wouldnt be able to resist.

[Jenni Shelden]

isnt that more of an arogance than an ignorance?

[caz]

Oh my goodness, Miss is more of a scoundrel than I am, Stephen...

"Using the scattergun approach simply displays a lack of education which may not be the writer's fault, and a lack of desire to find out, which is, and is ignorant."

Ouch!

Love,

Caz
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[Stephen Thomas]

Sit up straight boys and girls and pay attention to Miss

http://www.dreaded-apostrophe.com/

[caz]

Hi Chris,

The trouble with you is that it's hard to tell when you're joking. It's not like you to make silly mistakes. But it's even less like you to be funny.

It would take a scoundrel with rather more time than I have to correct entire peoples' apostrophe usage. Where would one start? The peoples of Europe and America perhaps?

I'm limited to seeing people's usage on the message boards - and I almost always limit myself to correcting those who have just slagged someone else off for something far more serious.

So think yourself lucky if your only fault is a misplaced apostrophe here and there. My many faults include being a scoundrel.

Love,

Caz
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[Chris]

I apologise for the error in the title of the thread. How careless of me. And how ironic!

But I'm still convinced that correcting peoples' use of apostrophes is the last refuge of a scoundrel.

[johns]

They indicate possession too... as in "Fred's hat"

[caz]

Are you a grocer or a wind-up merchant, Chris?

Love,

Caz
X

[Maggyann]

Apostrophes are only used where there is something (i.e. letter(s)) missing.

Drives me mad to see it's when it should be its or MP's which should be MPs grrrrrrrrr