Apostrophe crimes

[djewesbury]

Autocorrected solecisms don't count! See TPF v Various, above.

[djewesbury]

Autocorrected solecisms don't count! See TPF v Various, above.

[SCP-DFF]

Is this more pedantic than we need to be? C'mon geeks. Lemme hear your thoughts on this one. My view? It's just silly.

http://www.businessinsider.com/commas-i ... tes-2014-5

[djewesbury]

Is this more pedantic than we need to be? C'mon geeks. Lemme hear your thoughts on this one. My view? It's just silly.

http://www.businessinsider.com/commas-i ... tes-2014-5

This is just silly. You are right as usual.
I think that if we are going to have such things as 'Oxford commas', and accept that these are a matter of personal taste or style, then we must also be able to accept that the separation of verbal phrases in compound predicates (!) is likewise a question of the author's or editor's own taste.
If I were Gus Lubin and attempting to defend the English language from depredation, I might start elsewhere. Like anywhere but the USA.

[Glenn E.]

No, I agree with the author. All of those examples look wrong to me.

I do not claim perfection, and I am sure that I mis-use commas at least occasionally, but I do try to use them correctly. There's no comma between John eating a slice and drinking a bottle, nor should there be.

[DRT]

It is interesting that only one half of the house of Wiseman has posted here on the comma debate.

I agree, and disagree with much of what has been said.

[djewesbury]

I agree, and disagree with much of what has been said.

Interesting use of a comma. Should you have used another? "And disagree" appears to be a parenthetical clause, requiring a terminating comma.

[DRT]

I agree, and disagree with much of what has been said.

Interesting use of a comma. Should you have used another? "And disagree" appears to be a parenthetical clause, requiring a terminating comma.

Two bear traps were laid in my previous post. Congratulations for not standing on the other one.

[djewesbury]

I agree, and disagree with much of what has been said.

Interesting use of a comma. Should you have used another? "And disagree" appears to be a parenthetical clause, requiring a terminating comma.

Two bear traps were laid in my previous post. Congratulations for not standing on the other one.

Making intentional errors on a thread for pedants must entertain someone I suppose.

[Glenn E.]

I agree, and disagree with much of what has been said.

Interesting use of a comma. Should you have used another? "And disagree" appears to be a parenthetical clause, requiring a terminating comma.

Two bear traps were laid in my previous post. Congratulations for not standing on the other one.

I believe you did not lay the other trap. You merely reset it.

[DRT]

I believe you did not lay the other trap. You merely reset it.

I merely lifted the leaves that had been scattered lightly over it so the the unwary might see it before setting it off.

[DRT]

It feels wrong to do this when he has only just returned to the fold, but…

'The Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy'

[djewesbury]

It feels wrong to do this when he has only just returned to the fold, but…

'The Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy'

Personally, I think that Owen should be granted the same dispensation as Uncle Tom.

[DRT]

Personally, I think that Owen should be granted the same dispensation as Uncle Tom.

There was a time when the same might have been said about me. Just read the first few pages of this thread for the evidence. There is hope for everyone.

[djewesbury]

Personally, I think that Owen should be granted the same dispensation as Uncle Tom.

There was a time when the same might have been said about me. Just read the first few pages of this thread for the evidence. There is hope for everyone.

Even Tom?

[DRT]

Even Tom?

Especially Tom. Someone who can remember how not to blow himself up every day can surely remember where an apostrophe does or doesn't go?

[Glenn E.]

Even Tom?

Especially Tom. Someone who can remember not to blow himself up every day can surely remember where an apostrophe does or doesn't go?

I dunno. He owns an explosives factory and a bar. What could possibly go wrong?

[djewesbury]

Even Tom?

Especially Tom. Someone who can remember not to blow himself up every day can surely remember where an apostrophe does or doesn't go?

I dunno. He owns an explosives factory and a bar. What could possibly go wrong?

The apostrophes. And nothing else. Hopefully. Right?

[djewesbury]

Florence Nightgale

Who she?

[CaliforniaBrad]

"Dual in the City" was the headline in a commercial I just saw about a two team track meet. Unless they're running a pair of meets at the same time, I think someone goofed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Glenn E.]

"Dual in the City" was the headline in a commercial I just saw about a two team track meet. Unless they're running a pair of meets at the same time, I think someone goofed.

Maybe they're planning to race these up and down main street?

[djewesbury]

Two team track meet.
Huh?

[CaliforniaBrad]

Two team track meet.
Huh?

Two schools each pick athletes to represent them in the meet. In each event contested, the athletes score points for their school based on place. The school with the most points accumulated is the winner.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[djewesbury]

Two team track meet.
Huh?

Two schools each pick athletes to represent them in the meet. In each event contested, the athletes score points for their school based on place. The school with the most points accumulated is the winner.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ohhhh. I seeeee.
Very educational, this thread.

[jdaw1]

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.

[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 5896 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.