Apostrophe crimes

[DRT]

USADA started their investigation about the same time, and initially without knowledge, of the Fed's investigation. USADA backed off theirs, though not stopping, until the Fed's dropped their case. I also didn't know it started out of a Southern California riders positive dope test (though I was aware of his positive and issues around that). Here's some info from the report.

I count three.

[Glenn E.]

USADA started their investigation about the same time, and initially without knowledge, of the Fed's investigation. USADA backed off theirs, though not stopping, until the Fed's dropped their case. I also didn't know it started out of a Southern California riders positive dope test (though I was aware of his positive and issues around that). Here's some info from the report.

I count three.

Potentially three. Both uses of "Fed's" could theoretically be correct with changing uses of Fed as an abbreviation.


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[Alex Bridgeman]

USADA started their investigation about the same time, and initially without knowledge, of the Fed's investigation. USADA backed off theirs, though not stopping, until the Fed's dropped their case. I also didn't know it started out of a Southern California riders positive dope test (though I was aware of his positive and issues around that). Here's some info from the report.

I count three.

Potentially three. Both uses of "Fed's" could theoretically be correct with changing uses of Fed as an abbreviation.

In which case only one.

[RAYC]

USADA started their investigation about the same time, and initially without knowledge, of the Fed's investigation. USADA backed off theirs, though not stopping, until the Fed's dropped their case. I also didn't know it started out of a Southern California riders positive dope test (though I was aware of his positive and issues around that). Here's some info from the report.

I count three.

Potentially three. Both uses of "Fed's" could theoretically be correct with changing uses of Fed as an abbreviation.

In which case only one.

I can see how the first one might be correct (if "Fed" is the abbreviated form of "Federal Bureau of Investigation") but can't see how the second could be.

[Alex Bridgeman]

USADA started their investigation about the same time, and initially without knowledge, of the Fed's investigation. USADA backed off theirs, though not stopping, until the Fed's dropped their case. I also didn't know it started out of a Southern California riders positive dope test (though I was aware of his positive and issues around that). Here's some info from the report.

I count three.

Potentially three. Both uses of "Fed's" could theoretically be correct with changing uses of Fed as an abbreviation.

In which case only one.

I can see how the first one might be correct (if "Fed" is the abbreviated form of "Federal Bureau of Investigation") but can't see how the second could be.

I could concede that. If Fed was the abbreviation for Federal Bureau of Investigation then the second reference ought to be Fed'd - although I am sure that alternatives to the inelegant Fed'd must be possible.

[Glenn E.]

USADA started their investigation about the same time, and initially without knowledge, of the Fed's investigation. USADA backed off theirs, though not stopping, until the Fed's dropped their case. I also didn't know it started out of a Southern California riders positive dope test (though I was aware of his positive and issues around that). Here's some info from the report.

I count three.

Potentially three. Both uses of "Fed's" could theoretically be correct with changing uses of Fed as an abbreviation.

In which case only one.

I can see how the first one might be correct (if "Fed" is the abbreviated form of "Federal Bureau of Investigation") but can't see how the second could be.

I could concede that. If Fed was the abbreviation for Federal Bureau of Investigation then the second reference ought to be Fed'd - although I am sure that alternatives to the inelegant Fed'd must be possible.

I'm not quite sure what I was thinking. It had to do with the slang term "federales" but upon further review that still doesn't work. So two.

[jdaw1]

Decanted for approximately 12 hours and it was just starting to hit it's stride.

[jdaw1]

It’s not just me.

When an email arrives with a misplaced apostrophe ”“ ‟the government needs to change it’s approach”, or a similar abomination ”“ I tend to discount everything that comes afterwards.

I am not alone. Kyle Wiens, co-founder of iFixit and Dozuki, two US technology companies, says he refuses to hire people for the same reason. ‟If it takes someone more than 20 years to notice how to properly use ‘it’s’, then that’s not a learning curve I’m comfortable with,” he wrote in a Harvard Business Review blog.

Some may object, not because they disagree with his sentiment but because his own sentence contains a split infinitive and ends with a preposition.

Continued in the FT.

[RAYC]

It’s not just me.

When an email arrives with a misplaced apostrophe ”“ ‟the government needs to change it’s approach”, or a similar abomination ”“ I tend to discount everything that comes afterwards.

I am not alone. Kyle Wiens, co-founder of iFixit and Dozuki, two US technology companies, says he refuses to hire people for the same reason. ‟If it takes someone more than 20 years to notice how to properly use ‘it’s’, then that’s not a learning curve I’m comfortable with,” he wrote in a Harvard Business Review blog.

Some may object, not because they disagree with his sentiment but because his own sentence contains a split infinitive and ends with a preposition.

Continued in the FT.

does anyone apart from Rowan Atkinson really object to split infinitives any more?

[jdaw1]

does anyone apart from Rowan Atkinson really object to split infinitives any more?

Sometimes the best phrasing splits the infinitive. But if there is as good a phrasing without, then I prefer not to do so.

[Alex Bridgeman]

It’s not just me.

When an email arrives with a misplaced apostrophe ”“ ‟the government needs to change it’s approach”, or a similar abomination ”“ I tend to discount everything that comes afterwards.

I am not alone. Kyle Wiens, co-founder of iFixit and Dozuki, two US technology companies, says he refuses to hire people for the same reason. ‟If it takes someone more than 20 years to notice how to properly use ‘it’s’, then that’s not a learning curve I’m comfortable with,” he wrote in a Harvard Business Review blog.

Some may object, not because they disagree with his sentiment but because his own sentence contains a split infinitive and ends with a preposition.

Continued in the FT.

does anyone apart from Rowan Atkinson really object to split infinitives any more?

I thought the horror of a split infinitive disappeared in 1966 when the first episode of Star Trek aired. Now it seems to routinely split an infinitive is accepted in everyday English.

[jdaw1]

I thought the horror of a split infinitive disappeared in 1966 when the first episode of Star Trek aired. Now it seems to routinely split an infinitive is accepted in everyday English.

Not one that I would have split: ‟to split an infinitive routinely”, or, slightly less good, ‟routinely to split an infinitive”.

[jdaw1]

Measures of bank funding costs had fallen further during the month in the United Kingdom and overseas, with funding costs of the major European banks declining towards the levels of large non-financial companies’ for the first time since 2009.

The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street!? Is nothing sacred?

[RAYC]

One from the archives:

There is not a single person that I have met from FTLOP who is not capable of and regularly achieve's this feat.

[DRT]

One from the archives:

There is not a single person that I have met from FTLOP who is not capable of and regularly achieve's this feat.

[Note: scroll up one post to see after clicking link]

That was before I was educated by my mentor.

[RAYC]

oops....

[jdaw1]

1997-1999 confusion: oops.

[RAYC]

Submitted for adjudication:

- "some 83" (since it's now 30yrs old, the underlooked birthday cousin of 63)

My current office mate, who was born in October 1983 (so not too dissimilar to the time that the grape juice was fortified and became "port"), informs me that she is very definitely not 30 until later this year!

(indeed, she apparently has fully a further 6% of her adult life to live before turning 30)

[jdaw1]

I would not have complained.

[DRT]

I would not have complained.

About what? A 29 year old woman being pedantic or two missing apostrophes?

[PhilW]

Probably too much to hope that legislation will be past to make 1970 VP cheap.

[DRT]

Probably too much to hope that legislation will be past to make 1970 VP cheap.

Not guilty.

[PhilW]

Probably too much to hope that legislation will be past to make 1970 VP cheap.

Not guilty.

"past" vs "passed"

[jdaw1]

Probably too much to hope that legislation will be past to make 1970 VP cheap.

I had decided to be merciful maybe I’m growing soft in my dotage.

[DRT]

Probably too much to hope that legislation will be past to make 1970 VP cheap.

Not guilty.

"past" vs "passed"

I was charged with an apostrophe crime but made a spelling error. The prosecution has presented its case to the wrong court. Case dismissed

[jdaw1]

I was charged with an apostrophe crime but made a spelling error. The prosecution has presented its case to the wrong court. Case dismissed

my use of this thread for general pedantic errors of a grammatical or typographic nature, especially apostrophe crimes.

So there is ancient precedent.

[DRT]

I was charged with an apostrophe crime but made a spelling error. The prosecution has presented its case to the wrong court. Case dismissed

my use of this thread for general pedantic errors of a grammatical or typographic nature, especially apostrophe crimes.

So there is ancient precedent.

[PhilW]

I was charged with an apostrophe crime but made a spelling error. The prosecution has presented its case to the wrong court. Case dismissed

my use of this thread for general pedantic errors of a grammatical or typographic nature, especially apostrophe crimes.

So there is ancient precedent.

More a homophone crime than "spelling error" - I could start a "homophone crimes" thread, but fear it might be misunderstood. Need more port.

[jdaw1]

The BBC reports that 11-year-olds face new grammar test in Sats. The government Standards & Testing Agency has even published an example test, only one of the questions of which bothered me. Which? (It is obvious.) Why?

This question is too hard for Americans, who shouldn’t bother.

[djewesbury]

Surely not the split infinitive in Q42..?

[Alex Bridgeman]

Surely not the split infinitive in Q42..?

Probably - and that does really grate - but could it also be the use of "inverted commas" in question 39...or was it just me that was taught to call these speech marks?

[jdaw1]

With English punctuation, there is an ambiguity about whether the full stop (a.k.a. ‟period”) should be inside or outside the quotation marks, depending on what was originally said.

Fowler defends some split infinitives. They bother me less than the ending of a sentence, or even a main clause, with a preposition.

[djewesbury]

Fowler defends some split infinitives.

I always understood that this was something that arose from the transfer of Latin grammar to English; so whilst it can sound ugly to split one's infinitive, it's actually solecistic to call it 'wrong'. Just because you can't do it in Latin, doesn't make it wrong in English..

They bother me less than the ending of a sentence, or even a main clause, with a preposition.

An abomination up with which you will not put?

[djewesbury]

Sorry, I should be doing my homework..

[jdaw1]

An abomination up with which you will not put?

An intolerable abomination.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I am told by one who teaches the topic that there are several inconsistencies between the way in which adverbs and adjectives are used in the paper and the manner in which the syllabus requires their use to be taught.

[djewesbury]

But the thing is it's all being taught, out of context, to children too young to really understand it.. Far better to teach / examine grammar through texts than through daft exercises like this. I think. Parts of speech are determined by use - the example AHB gives is particularly interesting in that regard.

Does anybody else remember hunting gerunds in the summer term...?

[RAYC]

Slightly odd use of apostrophe here...doesn't seem right to me but maybe i'm being dense

[jdaw1]

Children are again to be subject to a rigorous examination in grammar. But why does it make adults so cross when other adults break the rules?

A new grammar and spelling test arrives in primary schools in England this week. It is the first time in a while that such emphasis has been put on grammar.

Some of the questions will seem straightforward for adults, such as where to place a comma or a colon in a sentence. But other aspects - identifying different types of adverbs or distinguishing between subordinating and co-ordinating connectives - might raise eyebrows.

Grammar is not just an educational issue. For some adults, it can sabotage friendships and even romantic relationships.

The research arm of dating site OKCupid looked at 500,000 first contacts and concluded that "netspeak, bad grammar and bad spelling are huge turn-offs". The biggest passion killers were "ur", "r", "u", "ya" and "cant". Also damaging to online suitors were "luv" and "wat".

[jdaw1]

I acquired a few bottles (less than a dozen)

Sackcloth and ashes.

[djewesbury]

I acquired a few bottles (less than a dozen)

Sackcloth and ashes.

100 lines I think.

[jdaw1]

100 lines I think.

I must make fewer mistakes, and those I make must be less serious.
I must make fewer mistakes, and those I make must be less serious.
I must make fewer mistakes, and those I make must be less serious.
I must make fewer mistakes, and those I make must be less serious.
I must make fewer mistakes, and those I make must be less serious.
Etc.

[jdaw1]

In the BBC’s grammar quiz I scored 8/10. One question had an error (but easily seen); one I was plain wrong; and one the machine said that I was wrong but that still isn’t obvious to me.

[LGTrotter]

Never mind, I only made 5/10.

In the words of Gore Vidal;

'It is not enough to suceed, others must fail'.

[djewesbury]

In the BBC’s grammar quiz I scored 8/10. One question had an error (but easily seen); one I was plain wrong; and one the machine said that I was wrong but that still isn’t obvious to me.

10/10!! How might I assist you...?

[RAYC]

"I'd like to introduce you to my sister Clara, who lives in Madrid, to Benedict, my brother who doesn't, and to my only other sibling, Hilary."

Personally i think there's enough grey area in this one to make their insistence that there is a correct answer rather shaky.

"my brother who doesn't" could easily be there as a linguistic flourish, and it strikes me that the argument re: insertion of a comma before "who doesn't" could equally be applied to the phrase "my sister Clara" (i.e. "my sister, Clara").

[djewesbury]

But in written speech those answers are technically correct... The commas operate as parentheses, separating clauses out and joining others together. In some ways misplaced commas annoy me more than misused apostrophes. I do agree that the 'brother who doesn't' is both ugly and a poor example; and I don't think there's anyone who would really read the sentence to mean what they claim. So it's a question of style vs clarity. Here they have neither.

[jdaw1]

Personally i think there's enough grey area in this one to make their insistence that there is a correct answer rather shaky.

and one the machine said that I was wrong but that still isn’t obvious to me.

We agree.

[djewesbury]

Well never mind that, what about this.. From the BBC..

"Jewellery belonging to Italian film star Gina Lollobrigida are due to go on sale at an auction in Geneva."

Plural??

[djewesbury]

And one more thing..

The question about semi-colons would have the entire oeuvre of Virginia Woolf dismissed as 'wrong'. Which would be a shame.