Greengrocers' Apostrophes

West Ender · 21-11-2008, 19:31

It drives me mad - what does? - an apostrophe being shoved in before the S when a word is a plural.

Take the word greengrocer, that's singular, but if there are 2 of them they are greengrocers. Greengrocer's means "belonging to the greengrocer" and if it belongs to both of them it becomes greengrocers'.

Right, so stop doing it or I'll start on about you're and your and there, they're and their.

Lilly · 21-11-2008, 21:26

I could sit on this thread all night.

It annoys me when people put an apostrophe in a plural or any word that ends with 's'

For example, thank's or photo's.

There is a lot of it about too, more than there used to be.

At least that's how it seems to me.

MargaretR · 21-11-2008, 21:32

I agree Lilly and think you are an school English teacher aren't you?

"Old aunt's used to come up to me at wedding's, poking me in the rib's, cackling and telling me
'You'll be next.' They stopped when I started doing the same to them at funeral's."

Lilly · 21-11-2008, 21:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by MargaretR

I agree Lilly and think you are an school English teacher aren't you?

"Old aunt's used to come up to me at wedding's, poking me in the rib's, cackling and telling me
'You'll be next.' They stopped when I started doing the same to them at funeral's."

Arrrrgggh!! Margaret, you little tinker! How dare you deface my signature!

I am not an English teacher. I could have been, I should have been but I'm not.

I'm just someone who is a stickler for spelling and grammar.

lancsdave · 21-11-2008, 21:52

whats' up with you grumpys'

maxwell silver · 21-11-2008, 21:55

Iput it down to falling standards in education.Wait for a few more years when todays younger generation have converted the written english language to text type,goodness knows how many letters could become obsolete & punctuation possibly a thing of the past

Royboy39 · 21-11-2008, 22:01

I was fetched up i' Church and edicated i' Ossy.
Where where you Lilly when I wanted you?

emamum · 21-11-2008, 22:15

i laughed the other day when someone on my facebook contact list from a mummy forum put this as her status..."does anyone home educate there kids cos i need advice"

my advice??? leave it to the professionals lol

West Ender · 21-11-2008, 22:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by lancsdave

whats' up with you grumpys'

One out of ten for knowing there should be an apostrophe somewhere.
See me.

garinda · 22-11-2008, 00:55

We are schizophrenic dyslexics, and always argue where the apostophes should go.

I say if in doubt leave it out.

I say otherwise.

Benipete · 22-11-2008, 01:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxwell silver

Iput it down to falling standards in education.Wait for a few more years when todays younger generation have converted the written english language to text type,goodness knows how many letters could become obsolete & punctuation possibly a thing of the past

I go along with the falling standards,but have you tried telling that to the powers that be.
I had 7 GCE's when I was 15.OK they were only O levels, but now from my observations and looking at the watered down versions that apply to examinations now this generation will be drawing the OAP before they reach that standard and sadly it is not their fault.

yerself · 22-11-2008, 10:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by West Ender

It drives me mad - what does? - an apostrophe being shoved in before the S when a word is a plural.

Seen on a door in a nursing home: 'Resident's Dining Room'

If the aberrant apostrophe annoys you how about could of, would of, should of ?

jambutty · 22-11-2008, 14:39

Language is an evolving beast and what was correct in yesteryear may not be correct today.

Years ago a quotation was enclosed in double quotes. Nowadays single quotes are favoured.

What about its and it’s? “It’s mine.” Is correct because the apostrophe denotes one or more missing letters. “The dog has gone to have its dinner” is also correct. Yet Peter’s dinner would be correct.

Pseudo plurals create arguments. The plural of virus, octopus and hippopotamus has always been viruses, octopuses and hippopotamuses yet the modern version seems to be virii (sometimes written as viri), octopi and hippopotami.

Cactus, fungus, nucleus. Any more?

See AskOxford: What are the plurals of 'octopus', 'hippopotamus', 'syllabus'? for loads of infromation.

Gayle · 22-11-2008, 15:21

The use of HAS and HAVE also annoy me.

Everytime I go past Oscar Bears nursery on Blackburn Rd it annoys me

Oscar Bears have vacancies.

West Ender · 22-11-2008, 15:54

To be honest, if I were to list all the grammatical errors that annoy me, the post would be massive. I only picked out one of the worst to make my point but every example that others have brought up, so far, is valid and they all set my teeth on edge.

Another, heard very much in this area, is "You was" and "They was" instead of the correct "were".