Apostrophe crimes

[DRT]

This hotel has less than 100 rooms, so is not a 40 floor massive chain hotel.

As a result of this thread people are making fewer errors, but some still happen.

We dealt with this simultaneously, but in different ways.

[flash_uk]

This hotel has less than 100 rooms, so is not a 40 floor massive chain hotel.

As a result of this thread people are making fewer errors, but some still happen.

We dealt with this simultaneously, but in different ways.

Hmm. Oxford thinks otherwise:

Less is also used with numbers when they are on their own and with expressions of measurement or time, e.g.:

His weight fell from 18 stone to less than 12.

Their marriage lasted less than two years.

Heath Square is less than four miles away from Dublin city centre

[flash_uk]

Actually on reflection, Oxford does agree!

Sackcloth!

[jdaw1]

I wondered whether people would think that “40 floor” should have been a compound adjective, “40-floor”. Presumably your silence on this matter was caused by you not seeing it as an error.

[flash_uk]

I wondered whether people would think that “40 floor” should have been a compound adjective, “40-floor”. Presumably your silence on this matter was caused by you not seeing it as an error.

I did also consider that it was the 40 floor causing offense.

[Glenn E.]

I wondered whether people would think that “40 floor” should have been a compound adjective, “40-floor”. Presumably your silence on this matter was caused by you not seeing it as an error.

That was what I assumed the error to be.

[jdaw1]

This is not an error.

I should diss’ the competition

It was entirely deliberate, to emphasise the lack of respect.

[djewesbury]

This is not an error.

I should diss’ the competition

It was entirely deliberate, to emphasise the lack of respect.

That is a double error. Hats off to your attempt to go all street, but diss has no apostrophe (nor does Diss).

[jdaw1]

but diss has no apostrophe (nor does Diss).

I know. But an apostrophe can signify a contraction, something missing. Such as, presumably, respect.

[djewesbury]

'

[jdaw1]

'

’

[djewesbury]

'

’

Oh glyph off

[djewesbury]

The real grammar Nazis!

[jdaw1]

our sources appear to slightly disagree.

What is the policy on split infinitives?

[djewesbury]

our sources appear to slightly disagree.

What is the policy on split infinitives?

That there is no such thing as a split infinitive. I understood that the concept was invented by one or other nineteenth-century public school headmaster who, observing the single-word infinitive of Latin, decided that the two-word infinitive of English should follow exactly the same rule.
Whatever your personal preference is (in Julian's case, this is generally communicated with the word 'Yuk'), it's not a rule.

[jdaw1]

Welcome to The Port Forum, devotees of which admire, alas at too great a distance, many of the things done in 1834, 1840, 1847, 1851, 1878, 1896, and some other fine years of the nineteenth century.

[djewesbury]

I plan to enjoy as much of the produce of these years as I can. But I also like not having cholera, having a choice about whether to vote, and being able to get to Porto in two hours. Let man split infinitive with man - or with woman!

[jdaw1]

the best team won a little unfairly.

[DRT]

Screen Shot 2014-06-12 at 23.49.55.png (13.4 KiB) Viewed 4942 times

I'm not sure what was wrong with my sentence, but I do know what was wrong with my accuser's BBcode.

[jdaw1]

I'm not sure what was wrong with my sentence, but I do know what was wrong with my accuser's BBcode.

Better, or best? You might have meant the latter, but it is more likely that you will claim that you meant the latter.

And I am less skilled at BBcode on Tapatalk than on a desktop. (Actually, I typed it correctly, not knowing that Tapatalk would substitute characters. And then I didn’t check my work. Tut tut.)

[DRT]

Better, or best? You might have meant the latter, but it is more likely that you will claim that you meant the latter.

I meant the latter.

[jdaw1]

Daughter’s homework, corrected in grey felt pen.

[djewesbury]

I will continue to excerpt the full force of my legendary willpower to avoid buying 2010.

Interesting. How will you do that?

[DRT]

I will continue to excerpt the full force of my legendary willpower to avoid buying 2010.

Interesting. How will you do that?

I plead Tapatalk on iPhone auto-correct nightmare.

[djewesbury]

I will continue to excerpt the full force of my legendary willpower to avoid buying 2010.

Interesting. How will you do that?

I plead Tapatalk on iPhone auto-correct nightmare.

Luckily, you got me on a Rebekah Brooks day rather than an Andy Coulson day. You are free to go with your fragrant reputation untarnished, sorry for bothering you ma'am.