[Gllug] Monthly GLLUG grammar report (Seriously OT now!)

[Dylan]

On Monday 25 November 2002 23:00, Jonathan Harker wrote:
> On Tuesday 26 Nov 2002 10:35 am, Dylan wrote:
> > > Your welcome             =   You're welcome
> >
> > The baneful apostrophe. Still, if we were taught what they were for
> > rather than when to use them it might be easier!
>
> OH, and my favourite:
>
> it's = it is
> its  = belonging to it

The problem here, I think, is that according to the basic rule they BOTH need 
one: contraction and genitive. Why the pattern his/its/hers/yours/ours isn't 
pointed out I'll never know!

>
> I have never really understood why it is people find apostrophes so
> difficult. There are only three things to remember: possession (genitive
> case), contraction and NO PLURALS!
>
> 1. Possession: Put a 's on the end, unless it is a plural (many things)
> ending in s, in which case just put a ' on the end. Except pronouns (a).
>
> Jon's room belongs to Jon.
> The players' room belongs to all the players. (plural ending in s)
> The men's room belongs to all the men (but not to the mens!)
> The princess's room belongs to the princess (fine, singular ending in s)
> The princesses' room belongs to all the princesses. (plural ending in s)
>
> (a)
> its room belongs to it, their/them, his/him, hers/her, your/you, my/me,
> our/us, etc. (there's also the side issue of them/their/theirs or
> me/my/mine, whereis there is only Jon/Jon's/Jon's - subj. & obj. genitive
> are the same)
>
> 2. Contraction: used as a replacement for letters: don't, won't, can't,
> it's, etc.
>
> 3. NO PLURALS! Five bananas, not five banana's

That's the one that really slaughters my goat!

There's also: "the boy's from shool's" etc. but there's a good syntactic 
explanation for that...

You may be pleased (or horrified) to know that there is evidence pointing to 
the apostrophe's ultimate demise, or generalisation to plurals - can't say 
which way it'll go yet!

Dylan
-- 
"Sweet moderation
Heart of this nation
Desert us not, we are
Between the wars"

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