Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Save our Apostrophes!

I'm still feeling rubbish but I was tickled by this article pointed out by Wendy.

I have to say that I do have a huge amount of sympathy with Stefan Gatward, who has been adding in the missing apostrophes which have been omitted from his local street signs. If I was confronted with a sign that read St Johns Close, I'd have been tempted to do the same.

I don't know quite what it is about an apostrophe in the wrong place that brings me out in hives to the extent that I even have to persecute my fellow bloggers, but I do think it's important to get these things right. I have to say that I really appreciated Yousuf's gracious response - even if he did make the same mistake in a later posting.

They're a useful tool for any sort of written communication and in the wrong place can drastically change the meaning of a sentence.

Our language does lose out if we continually dumb it down and fail to teach the next generation how to properly express themselves.

Hysterical overreaction? Possibly, but I can't afford the therapy to get me over it, so you'll just have to put up with it:-)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have you come across the Apostrophe Protection Society?

Unknown said...

That link doesn't work, but I googled the APS and found this one - it seems they've moved websites recently.

http://www.apostrophe.org.uk/

Thanks, though. It's good to see I'm not alone:-)

Costigan Quist said...

I cant help feeling your'e going a bit over the top with apostrophe's. Luckily I know how to use them correctly, but if other's dont, its surely not such a big deal.

Unknown said...

I am not rising to your bait, Mr Quist. I know what you're trying to do and I *will* stay calm.

And, breathe.

Now, where are these anti-histamines?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for correcting the link. I hadn't visited the site for a while.

Anonymous said...

Found on LibDemBlogs: On Bicycle's, on Boris"

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