I've alway's sub'scribed to the theory that 'superfluou's (greengrocers') apo'strophe's 'should have the penalty of lo'sing a finger for each one. That way, you'll either learn by the tenth time, or you'll find that it doesn't matter if you learn after that point.
Apostrophe-s at the end of plural words?
- Thread starter echoofformless
- Start date
what about the spoken apostrophies? Those can be misplaced with out the aid of fingers! Wait a minute....
*I once saw this video of this guy with no arms or legs holding a pencil in his mouth to write. Talk about mouthing words....
*I once saw this video of this guy with no arms or legs holding a pencil in his mouth to write. Talk about mouthing words....
This is exactly like the other point I brought up, use something incorrectly long enough and it will become acceptable.Actually, you were correct in your usage of "phenomena" and were incorrectly "corrected"
Main Entry: phe·nom·e·na
Pronunciation: \fi-ˈnä-mə-nə, -ˌnä\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural phe·nom·e·nas
Date: 1576
nonstandard : phenomenon
usage Phenomena has been in occasional use as a singular for more than 400 years and its plural phenomenas for more than 350. Our evidence shows that it is primarily a speech form used by poets, critics, and professors, among others, but one that sometimes turns up in edited prose <the Borgia were, in modern terms, a media phenomena — Economist>. It is etymologically no more irregular than stamina, agenda, and candelabra, but it has nowhere near the frequency of use that they have, and while they are standard, phenomena is still rather borderline.
And even more who couldn't care less about its use on an internet forum...:evil_lol:
If you wont to get your nose bent out of shape over a simple pencil mark why not go all the way and get bent out of shape over the Lack Of proper caPitaLization, the lack ofcommasandperiods to seperate, thingies, the write way or the wrong speeling of them thar words's like their, there, they're; separate/seperate to/too?two? your you're At iT? write /right???
Oddly enough, it is acceptable to use either Kurtis' or Kurtis's. This is because it's a singular term. Personally I prefer Kurtis's. It has to do with pronunciation - if it would make pronunciation awkward to add 's, go with s'. It's only with plural that the rule of s' adheres with only a few exceptions.
It's just not the same thing in my opinion. Simple mechanical errors or those things that are the result of laziness from those who know better just don't compare to this for some reason. I can't fully explain why it bothers me; it just does. It bothers me because I can't understand the basis for it.
I said in my original post that I can fathom someone using the wrong their, there or they're just out of ignorance or out of absent mindedness. Capitalization requires extra finger action on the keyboard. Punctuation requires a working knowledge of written mechanics.
But adding an apostrophe-s at the end of a plural word is just that ridiculous. It's an unnecessary extra step that is a mistake. So it isn't out of laziness or out of absent mindedness. It's a purposed, deliberate action that undoes the correct form we all learned in early grade school and have been using all of our lives. There really is just no reason for it coming from a grown and educated person's pen.
I'm sorry, but like I said I don't want to sound like a nazi or a fussabout - but this has just begun to drive me a little insane because I can't understand the logic behind it. Most written errors come either from absent mindedness or lack of knowledge; and I just don't see either of those being applicable to this behavior.
So unless someone can point out an actual reason why such a thing is done, I will continue to bang my head against the wall every time I see's it.
We are all entitled to our own idiocies. Mine is a lack of capitalization, incorrect spelling, and run-on sentences. I guess the reason it drives me nuts is because I put a lot of effort in trying to do it right. Misspelling in chat or IM is one thing but there is no excuse for misspelling in a post.
Oh well, life is too short to get hung up over trivial matters.
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Oh well, life is too short to get hung up over trivial matters.
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I think this has to do with spell checking software. I have done it when trying to say bettas because spell check says it's wrong. The younger generations have not been taught the rules so much, as how to use the software. The older I get and the more spell check software out there the more I think well maybe I am wrong in how I am spelling or composing the sentence.
