Apostrophes or is it apostrophe's?

[indysteel]

I knew I'd make a mistake in that post... but I think most traditionalists would argue that it's really Ph.D.s

Or is it Ph.Ds.?

Beats me. In all fairness, there is some dispute as to whether certain acronyms, e.g., those with periods, and usages like "the 1980s" should take an apostrophe. I, personally, prefer them without because it seems more consistent with the other rules on apostrophe use. Whichever rule you follow, just be consistent in any given communication.

[bluebug32]

Beats me. In all fairness, there is some dispute as to whether certain acronyms, e.g., those with periods, and usages like "the 1980s" should take an apostrophe. I, personally, prefer them without because it seems more consistent with the other rules on apostrophe use. Whichever rule you follow, just be consistent in any given communication.

Most of these types of questions depend on the style book you're referring to.

[indysteel]

Most of these types of questions depend on the style book you're referring to.

Yes, I know. It's too bad that the correct standard isn't more settled. It seems needlessly confusing.

[bluebug32]

Yes, I know. It's too bad that the correct standard isn't more settled. It seems needlessly confusing.

It is. At least most of my jobs have followed the Chicago Manual of style.

[goldfinch]

I think some of the rules are unnecessarily complex. For example, the whole lie, lay, laid, and lain thing should be tossed out and redone.

I am not fond of "that" and "which" either.

So there!

But at least our words don't have genders. Seems like a silly concept when you aren't born to it.

[jessmarimba]

I wish whoever authors our templates at work could learn punctuation in relation to quotation marks. It looks so funny to me to see commas following an end-quote. I correct them for my personal reports but most people don't mess with template language (since it's supposed to be standard).

I think the templates are probably maintained by the same manager who ALWAYS uses an apostrophe to pluralize things. I've suggested we ought to contract to a real live editor (or similar) to give our report language a once-over, as I find it hard to take someone's work seriously when it isn't presented professionally, but it doesn't seem to bother anyone else on staff.

[Veronica]

I think some of the rules are unnecessarily complex. For example, the whole lie, lay, laid, and lain thing should be tossed out and redone.

This gives my fifth graders fits! I try to approach it with which one needs a direct object. You lay "something" down. Or you, yourself, lie down and take a nap.


Of course once you move into the past tense, all bets are off.

Veronica

[goldfinch]

This gives my fifth graders fits! I try to approach it with which one needs a direct object. You lay "something" down. Or you, yourself, lie down and take a nap.


Of course once you move into the past tense, all bets are off.

Veronica

Yup. My feeling is to drop lay as the past tense of lie.

[SheFly]

Most of these types of questions depend on the style book you're referring to.

You mean: Most of these types of questions depend on the style book to which you are referring. Right?

SheFly (That is a situation up with which I cannot put. Mark Twain)

eta - I just read to the end of the messages. This post is NOT a target at Bluebug, nor anyone else on the forum. MY personal grammar pet peeve happens to be dangling participles. That and using phrases like "In order to" instead of just saying "to". My issue only. Oh wait - I think I just wrote an incomplete sentence!

[OakLeaf]

You mean: Most questions of this type depend on the style book to which you are referring.

Fixed that for ya.

[SadieKate]

Anyone remember the Barbara Cartland novels which were quite racy back in the day? At camp we used to read them aloud . . . including the dot-dot-dots.

Back then (yes, the Dark Ages) it all would have been typeset. Oy.

Oh. Sorry. Oy . . .

[jessmarimba]

You guys might find this funny.

At Target, at the pharmacists' counter, they have a little pamphlet:

Where's it at? Here's a map!

"Where's it at?" Really, Target? Your editing staff didn't catch that? It MIGHT be acceptable if "at" rhymed with "map." But it doesn't. It makes me cringe so badly that I may email corporate to ask what on earth they were thinking.

[BikeDutchess]

I should have taken a picture of the sign at the grocery store last night. A professionally printed sign, I might add.

Turkey's $0.99/lbs

[Irulan]

You guys might find this funny.

At Target, at the pharmacists' counter, they have a little pamphlet:

Where's it at? Here's a map!

"Where's it at?" Really, Target? Your editing staff didn't catch that? It MIGHT be acceptable if "at" rhymed with "map." But it doesn't. It makes me cringe so badly that I may email corporate to ask what on earth they were thinking.

Um, Isn't "where's" a contraction of "where is"? I thought we used an apostrophe in a contraction. /confused.

[yellow]

Grammar Girl!

She has great articles about apostrophes, then/than, effect/affect, and the like.

I often feel I need therapy to deal with my reaction to apostrophe abuse and what seems to be an up-and-coming victim: the ellipsis. I have a co-worker who is unable to use a single period in her writing. She separates all sentences with an ellipsis (and generally adds one to the end of a sentence). I think she's trying to say that all of her thoughts--all of them--are unfinished and she is unsure. All I know is that I cannot take her seriously. In the last several years I have noticed a lot more ellipsis abuse, especially associated with casual writing in email and in forums. OK, fine. But DO NOT USE ELLIPSES IN PLACE OF REAL PUNCTUATION IN EMAILS THAT GO TO CLIENTS! Not that I feel strongly about it or anything.