The Lowly Apostrophe

[Alison]

My dad always drummed basic grammar into us all through our school lives. Annoying at the time but now like to take pride in being (reasonably) correct when I write formal reports and am turning into an old grump with the younger staff who don't seem to have the faintest idea how to string a sentence together. Quite a few of the e-mails I get are barely readible, wouldn't be so bad if they were just chatty ones from friends but most of these are professional communications and, quite frankly, it just looks rubbish! I'm not keen on text speak at the best of times but especially in the working environment. However, even worse than bad grammar is the inability of them all to have the faintest idea when to use their and there and to not care anyway.

However, I have no problems whatsoever with the the blatant use of lots of exclamation marks on forums such as this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rocketron]

My dad always drummed basic grammar into us all through our school lives. Annoying at the time but now like to take pride in being (reasonably) correct when I write formal reports and am turning into an old grump with the younger staff who don't seem to have the faintest idea how to string a sentence together. Quite a few of the e-mails I get are barely readible, wouldn't be so bad if they were just chatty ones from friends but most of these are professional communications and, quite frankly, it just looks rubbish! I'm not keen on text speak at the best of times but especially in the working environment. However, even worse than bad grammar is the inability of them all to have the faintest idea when to use their and there and to not care anyway.

However, I have no problems whatsoever with the the blatant use of lots of exclamation marks on forums such as this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why not reply, "When you write to me in correct English, I will reply." It is then up to them if they want to do business with you. (Or, possibly, down to them).

[OllieMartin]

I agree, I don't object to text speak, abbreviations or slang. But I was brought up to believe in 'time and place'. My parents used to let me swear, so long as I didn't do it excessively, with company or at school, because they realised I'd learn the words anyway and it was more important for me to understand when to use them rather than not to.

I had a colleague who didn't know the difference between "as" and "has" simply because she'd always said them the same and at the age of 40ish she'd barely ever had any professional need to write them down, until she started as a Skills Trainer.
Fortunately I got her on my side, and whenever she wanted to send something important out, she'd send it to me for proof reading first. "He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is a child - teach him" - Confucius

[Eco-Chic]

Keith Waterhouse used to devote many column inches to the misuse of the apostrophe and founded the movement for the Abolition of the Aberrent Apostrophe.

I will support the reintroduction of the Interrobang. I can't imagine why I've never heard of it before and I don't know I've managed without it.

[Eco-Chic]

I would be tempted to return a work email using a lot of text speak with a one word response and interrobang "Wot!?"

[BumbleB]

You can find an interrobang in Microsoft Word's Fonts. Go to Format, choose Fonts, then Wingdings 2. You'll find 4 different versions of the interrobang. Hit the ` ~ key, the ] } key, the 6 ^ key, or the - _ key.

Could have some fun adding this as a special key for special notes. But it will not paste for use on the Vine !

[RedThorn]

you mean like this‽
font size increase to see the said interrobang easier....

[OllieMartin]

you mean like this‽
font size increase to see the said interrobang easier....

RedThorn, you are hereby promoted to 'Chief Interrobang Officer' (CIO). Welcome to the executive board.

You'd have to be crazy not to accept the position. Are you crazy‽

[zazen999]

RT - you're genius. Either that or you've got too much spare time on your hands‽

OMG - did it work‽ Have I got one‽

[RedThorn]

lol let's see how many people use it from now on

Amazing what you can figure out when you're at work before 6 in the morning....

I have a dichotomy on my hands... do I carry on playing on the Vine or get back to work?

[zazen999]

Can you leave any earlier if you get on with some work or not?

[RedThorn]

unfortunately not

[Incy]

Then stick around mate

[Glutton4...]

.... Quite a few of the e-mails I get are barely readible, wouldn't be so bad ....

Shouldn't that be 'legible‽'

[RedThorn]

hmmm G4 - email should be legible as it's usually a standard font, decipherable, now that's another question!