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joelove
Joined: 12 May 2011
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 Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 8:05 pm Post subject: The Apostrophe |
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What has happened to the poor little apostrophe? It's being wrongly used everywhere it seems. Sure, you might say, it's just the internet, but why are so many people putting it where it should not be?
I just thought about this as one question we had on a test was about using the apostrophe. Most of these students would not understand the word if you said it to them, but they did OK with it, probably better than the average native speaker online. |
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drcrazy
Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Location: Pusan. Yes, that's right. Pusan NOT Busan. I ain't never been to no place called Busan
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| Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 12:01 am Post subject: Re: The Apostrophe |
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| joelove wrote: |
What has happened to the poor little apostrophe? It's being wrongly used everywhere it seems. Sure, you might say, it's just the internet, but why are so many people putting it where it should not be?
I just thought about this as one question we had on a test was about using the apostrophe. Most of these students would not understand the word if you said it to them, but they did OK with it, probably better than the average native speaker online. |
Could you please run this past us again? And this time in English? |
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The Cosmic Hum
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space
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| Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:00 am Post subject: Re: The Apostrophe |
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| joelove wrote: |
What has happened to the poor little apostrophe? It's being wrongly used everywhere it seems. Sure, you might say, it's just the internet, but why are so many people putting it where it should not be?
I just thought about this as one question we had on a test was about using the apostrophe. Most of these students would not understand the word if you said it to them, but they did OK with it, probably better than the average native speaker online. |
lol...we can't even motivate people to spell correctly online, and now you want punctuation too!
Just wait for good old Patrick to get in here and spread around some of his good natured apathy for online formalities. 
Joke for the thread
The teacher asks the class:
"Class...what is the the cause of sloppy online English?"
"Is it ignorance or apathy?"
Little Billy yells out.
"Teacher...I don't know and I don't care!" |
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FMPJ
Joined: 03 Jun 2008
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joelove
Joined: 12 May 2011
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| Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 4:29 am Post subject: Re: The Apostrophe |
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| drcrazy wrote: |
Could you please run this past us again? And this time in English? |
OK. When did people start putting apostrophes all over the place where they do not belong?
It's not even just on the internet anymore. You can see it in the real world too, like in menus or ads. It really started within the past ten years I guess. The misspelling is a good point too. Maybe people now see mistakes so often they copy them, and they spread even more. |
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drcrazy
Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Location: Pusan. Yes, that's right. Pusan NOT Busan. I ain't never been to no place called Busan
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| Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 7:40 pm Post subject: Re: The Apostrophe |
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| joelove wrote: |
| drcrazy wrote: |
Could you please run this past us again? And this time in English? |
OK. When did people start putting apostrophes all over the place where they do not belong?
It's not even just on the internet anymore. You can see it in the real world too, like in menus or ads. It really started within the past ten years I guess. The misspelling is a good point too. Maybe people now see mistakes so often they copy them, and they spread even more. |
How do you plan to support your argument without citing even one example????? |
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drcrazy
Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Location: Pusan. Yes, that's right. Pusan NOT Busan. I ain't never been to no place called Busan
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| Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 7:43 pm Post subject: Re: The Apostrophe |
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| drcrazy wrote: |
| joelove wrote: |
| drcrazy wrote: |
Could you please run this past us again? And this time in English? |
OK. When did people start putting apostrophes all over the place where they do not belong?
It's not even just on the internet anymore. You can see it in the real world too, like in menus or ads. It really started within the past ten years I guess. The misspelling is a good point too. Maybe people now see mistakes so often they copy them, and they spread even more. |
How do you plan to support your argument without citing even one example????? |
maybe this will help.
Ho'w d'o you pla'n to su'p'p'ort your ar'gu'ment wi'thout citi'ng ev'''''en one e'xa''mple????? |
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joelove
Joined: 12 May 2011
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| Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:41 am Post subject: |
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Examples are needed? Have you not noticed this trend? Haven't you been seeing enough of it on these forums alone? Stuff like "the dog wags it's tail" or "banana's on sale" or whatever is everywhere these days. The dog wags it is tail? One banana is on sale?
(No, not literally everywhere. And it doesn't bother me much really, just kind of curious how it got to be so common. Perhaps via the internet. ) |
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drcrazy
Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Location: Pusan. Yes, that's right. Pusan NOT Busan. I ain't never been to no place called Busan
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| Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:14 am Post subject: |
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| joelove wrote: |
Examples are needed? Have you not noticed this trend? Haven't you been seeing enough of it on these forums alone? Stuff like "1. the dog wags it's tail" or "banana's on sale" or whatever is everywhere these days. 2 The dog wags it is tail? One banana is on sale?
(No, not literally everywhere. And it doesn't bother me much really, just kind of curious how it got to be so common. Perhaps via the internet. ) |
What is incorrect about #1? Do you want the dog to wag another dog's tail? #2 I have no clue.  |
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pedrotaves
Joined: 02 Mar 2011
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| Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 6:54 am Post subject: |
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we use an apostrophe for "it is"----->it's.
we do not use an apostrophe for the possessive "its."
"It's going to be a long time before I see that movie again." (it is)
"He's going to the movie and its premier." (possessive it)
for the record, my lowest level of pre-middle students were taught this last week and understood perfectly. |
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FMPJ
Joined: 03 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 6:10 pm Post subject: |
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| drcrazy wrote: |
| joelove wrote: |
Examples are needed? Have you not noticed this trend? Haven't you been seeing enough of it on these forums alone? Stuff like "1. the dog wags it's tail" or "banana's on sale" or whatever is everywhere these days. 2 The dog wags it is tail? One banana is on sale?
(No, not literally everywhere. And it doesn't bother me much really, just kind of curious how it got to be so common. Perhaps via the internet. ) |
What is incorrect about #1? Do you want the dog to wag another dog's tail? #2 I have no clue. |
Holy crap, man. Really?
I repeat: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apostrophe |
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drcrazy
Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Location: Pusan. Yes, that's right. Pusan NOT Busan. I ain't never been to no place called Busan
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| Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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| FMPJ wrote: |
| drcrazy wrote: |
| joelove wrote: |
Examples are needed? Have you not noticed this trend? Haven't you been seeing enough of it on these forums alone? Stuff like "1. the dog wags it's tail" or "banana's on sale" or whatever is everywhere these days. 2 The dog wags it is tail? One banana is on sale?
(No, not literally everywhere. And it doesn't bother me much really, just kind of curious how it got to be so common. Perhaps via the internet. ) |
What is incorrect about #1? Do you want the dog to wag another dog's tail? #2 I have no clue. |
Holy crap, man. Really?
I repeat: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apostrophe |
Ok, my screen is in bad condition. I did not see the ' the dog wags it's tail. However, I still can not believe that people at this site would think that the sentence 2 The dog wags it is tail. is correct |
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FMPJ
Joined: 03 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 11:21 pm Post subject: |
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| drcrazy wrote: |
| FMPJ wrote: |
| drcrazy wrote: |
| joelove wrote: |
Examples are needed? Have you not noticed this trend? Haven't you been seeing enough of it on these forums alone? Stuff like "1. the dog wags it's tail" or "banana's on sale" or whatever is everywhere these days. 2 The dog wags it is tail? One banana is on sale?
(No, not literally everywhere. And it doesn't bother me much really, just kind of curious how it got to be so common. Perhaps via the internet. ) |
What is incorrect about #1? Do you want the dog to wag another dog's tail? #2 I have no clue. |
Holy crap, man. Really?
I repeat: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apostrophe |
Ok, my screen is in bad condition. I did not see the ' the dog wags it's tail. However, I still can not believe that people at this site would think that the sentence 2 The dog wags it is tail. is correct |
Man, 2 is what the things in 1 actually mean. |
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joelove
Joined: 12 May 2011
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| Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 9:14 pm Post subject: |
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Hey, I am just trying to raise awareness about the often abused apostrophe that has been plaguing our society these days. It is a serious matter and I will not stand for it. Help me in this battle. It is a vital matter and we shall not go down without a fight.
http://www.apostrophe.org.uk/
The Apostrophe Protection Society
23 Vauxhall Road, Boston, Lincs. PE21 0JB
United Kingdom
Holy crap, that link has forums. I'm not alone in this struggle. |
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Binch Lover
Joined: 25 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:49 am Post subject: |
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While I agree that misuse of the apostrophe is unsightly and doesn't look good coming from English teachers, it's not a new phenomenon. I think it's also important to realize that grammar and language conventions are not fixed in stone.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostrophe#Superfluous_apostrophes_.28.22greengrocers.27_apostrophes.22.29
| Quote: |
| Lynne Truss, author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves, points out that before the 19th century, it was standard orthography to use the apostrophe to form a plural of a foreign-sounding word that ended in a vowel (e.g., banana's, folio's, logo's, quarto's, pasta's, ouzo's) to clarify pronunciation. Truss says this usage is no longer considered proper in formal writing. |
[/url] |
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