The Lowly Apostrophe

[OllieMartin]

I was having a conversation with someone the other day about the apostrophe (yes, it was one of my more interesting conversations, I know!). She was writing a paper for university on it and whether or not it has any place in the English written language.

Now I'm no scholar, but years ago someone corrected me on my apostrophe usage. Being stubborn (also known as being male) I decided to research how they should be used so I couldn't be corrected again (or even so I could become the aggressor!).

Now the argument for abolishing the apostrophe is that as it's possible to identify when one is missing, by extension; it's possible to read without their usage.
This combined with the fact that there are different schools of thought as to their usage.
E.g. Is it "James' ball" or "James's ball"? (Personally I go for the second option as the first option could be misconstrued as being "The ball that belongs to all people called James", but again, we can decipher what is correct by context.

I think the biggest, and also poorest, arguement for our beloved apostrophe's abolition is that it is the least understood piece of punctuation given its relative ubiquitousness.

Am I alone in my fight to retain this tiny fleck of English scripture?

(next week: Would we like to see the re-introduction of the interrobang into British literature!?)

[piskieinboots]

shall I put the kettle on?

[OllieMartin]

Milk, one sugar.
ta

[zazen999]

So, what attempts are you making to find a girfriend? Is there anything WE can do?

[piskieinboots]

finding a girlfriend?

my dear Andrea, with chatup lines like 'what do you do with your apostrophe?' he will be having them eating out of his hand

and no, Ollie - you are not alone

[Incy]

Ooh ooh I love punctuation
As far as James and his ball, the first one is grammatically correct not the second. I had that one well and truly rammed home as a child and as one of my brothers is called James....welll
I can't believe anyone would even consider removing it from our written language. Just because you can understand a written sentence without it doesn't make it a correctly written sentence.
We humans have the capacity to understand all sorts of written nonsense including typos in newspapers etc. but that does not mean we should change the written language to reflect the poor level of litteracy that exists.
It's the difference between coherent and cohesive.
Shall I get my coat

[zazen999]

I've been known not to enter into an establishment just because its sign had an incorrect apostrophe...so I know where you are coming from. I also have been known to comment using the remaining food from rubbish meals, on the plates [peas are good], with Mr Grammar being 100% wasted on the server. I had to stop doing that when I started mystery shopping though.

[OllieMartin]

So, what attempts are you making to find a girfriend? Is there anything WE can do?

Thanks for reminding me of my priorities Zaz, i'd forget my head if it wasn't screwed on!

Tbh, forget the apostrophe for chat-up lines, gardening is my conversation starter. Because I post regular photos of my garden on Facebook, anyone I see out and about always asks about it.
Now I just need to find a girl who can weed, build decking and likes pickled beetroot and I'm laughing.

[zazen999]

Now I just need to find a girl who can weed, build decking and likes pickled beetroot and I'm laughing.

Er. you've just described my summer. Freaky.

[Capsid]

I too get frustrated by the wayward apostrophe. It's not really that hard to work out is it? Spelling is another of my peeves, but on a forum such as this I allow for typographical errors. You didn't spell argument right Ollie.

[piskieinboots]

I too get frustrated

and shouldn't that be
... I, too, get frustrated

we may not get much work done today

[BumbleB]

!

Confess I am a exclamation junkie

[OllieMartin]

I too get frustrated by the wayward apostrophe. It's not really that hard to work out is it? Spelling is another of my peeves, but on a forum such as this I allow for typographical errors. You didn't spell argument right Ollie.

I knew, when writing a post like this, it would:
a) be even more important that I got all my spelling, punctuation and grammar correct
b) be even less likely that I would ACTUALLY get my spelling, punctuation and grammar correct!

At least I didn't mis use any of the apostrophe's

!

Confess I am a exclamation junkie

Me too!
Did you read about the interrobang!?

[Capsid]

I knew, when writing a post like this, it would:
a) be even more important that I got all my spelling, punctuation and grammar correct
b) be even less likely that I would ACTUALLY get my spelling, punctuation and grammar correct!

At least I didn't mis use any of the apostrophe's





Me too!
Did you read about the interrobang!?

That should be apostrophes.

[Nicos]

Now then...I used to be old school when it came to writing- and speech...but with age I have mellowed.

The reason is that I've read quite a few very old books ( cira 1600's ) and you can see how the English language has developed.
So..ya see...if you insist on the 'text book' English taught in the middle of the 1900's where many of us were whacked on the knuckles by the teacher - or made to stand in the corner-then you can understand why so many of us 'of a certain age' stand by the importance of the correct use of the written word.
BUT..how can a language- either spoken or written develop??? ( look at how much American English has evolved in the past 150 years)

Bet Shakespeare wouldn't understand half of what we say if he nipped in for a brew!

(so ....James' ball would belong to James....James's ball would not be correct and Jameses' ball would be owned by a group of lads called James?????...Hmph...I think there are more important things which need sorting out on the planet than that!)

Oh and by the way ...exclamation marks?? why on earth would I want to be using those??....and those little dotty things instead of something else!!!!.....