Mumsnet Talk

I saw this story about roadsigns in Devon.

I know a lot of people have difficulty, and they are a bit tricky if you've never been taught how to use them, but are we at the stage now where they are 'officially' disappearing?

Well I know how to spell them.....!

My first thought too GreatUncle. Ironic eh?

<kills self>



I cannot even claim to have been pre-coffee.

No, they're very simple.

Seven year old children can learn how to use them perfectly, so long as they are taught properly. It's taught at their school, but not to DH's satisfaction (ex grammar school boy), so he put our DDs through Punctuation Boot Camp, in Yr 3.

I don't have a problem with apostrophes either. I assume OP knows how to use them too. With regard to signs-what can I say?
'Twas ever thus :-)

I do know how to use them, yes. Just not how to spell them today!

I gave my DH (28 this year) a lesson in them on Sunday after he got all smug about the titles on something being wrong. They were right, he was wrong and I still don't think he believes me. We went to the same school so I don't know how I picked it up and he didn't!

I always remember a teacher at school saying the apostrophe means "Belonging to" as in "the boy's house" means "house belonging to the boy". Whereas "the boys' house" would be "house belonging to the boys". He said always look at the word before the apostrophe.

When I receive a CV with apostrophes in the wrong place... I put that CV straight in the bin. Yes, of course they matter.

They're doing it because their proofers are illiterate, I guess. I live in Devon and we have seen official, but temporary signs, with incorrect apostrophes.

I once temped in the department of a public body which made representations to MPs. Of 9 people in that department only two (other than me) knew how to use apostrophes. I had an argument with one chap who was certain he was right when he wrote "Its our opinion, the people most affected by it's proposals will be ....". Every time I typed up additions to this Political Brief I had to go through the entire thing and reallocate the apostrophes. Then he'd send it back to me to change them all round again....

Apostrophes signal possession (see post above) or omission. The only one which is tricky is its or it's... But that's just a rule of thumb. However as it's probably the most commonly used apostrophe I think it muddies the water for all other situations where an apostrophe might be needed!

I am so into this that I once made my team at work sit through a lecture meeting specifically on this topic. Oh what fun I they had!

They probably are dying out tbh. I know how to use them and people are always asking me where to put the apostrophe. I tell them to leave it out if they're not sure as I'd much rather see a missing apostrophe than a rogue one.

I agree that DC can be taught them properly, and then there shouldn't be any problems. I correct DC but I'm not convinced their teachers know how to. DH was asked a plural apostrophe question by a secondary English teacher, which he brought home to me.

Placed yep, DH is the same. He gets dozens of CVs a month, many from graduates. But, he's very old school, when it comes to spelling/punctuation/grammar and any CV that isn't perfect in these respects just goes in the bin.

Like he says, he doesn't have the time to teach people in their twenties how to use a comma/apostrophe. And, he doesn't want them representing his company, and sending out emails/business letters filled with mistakes, that his 10 year old daughter wouldn't make.

My local cafe has a lovely menu board... but it has about 20 rogue apostrophes - HOW? Honestly, I know it's not a sign writers responsibility to proof read before they do the sign, but when it's that obvious, surely a word to the cafe wouldn't go amiss (and yes, english is their first language).

"DH was asked a plural apostrophe question by a secondary English teacher, which he brought home to me."

Yep - DH's BIL teaches secondary school English to A Level. And, yet when he first started he needed to rely on his wife's far better grasp of punctuation/grammar - because she was a grammar school girl, and had learned the rules properly.

A cafe near to where we used to live was called 'Trishes Cafe'
Each time I went past, I had to restrain myself from going in to tell them.

The Oatmeal does an excellent guide which is worth showing to anyone who needs to be steered up the right path theoatmeal.com/comics/apostrophe.

You see I do think it's hard. I have an otherwise good grasp on the English language but sometimes I do get them wrong.

I can do omission, and I can do possession most of the time, but plurals I'm shaky on. Oh, and yes, I have read the rules online. a lot

I concede that people can get "its" and "it's" mixed up; although if you think of it in terms of "his" "hers" and "its" when talking about possession, it's pretty simple. You wouldn't write "hi's" or "her's" so in the same context, you don't need "it's" when talking about something that belongs to it.

Plurals really really frustrate me, especially on signs and public notices. And the irrational logic that follows it.... For instance the cafe sign that says "cakes, pies, pastries and panini's". Why?? Why for the love of God??? <trembles slightly>

Don't get me started on "your" and "you're"......

Correction it's plural possessions I can't do reliably. I don't write;

''Kitten's''

Yup, and I'm in my 20s. I was taught grammar in junior school.

Thank goodness for Miss Smith (my elderly primary school headmistress) who decided to completely ignore the new-fangled 'literacy hour'.

(Hopes there's no random grammar mistakes in that post!)

Plural possessions. Just write the plural word with the s, then add the possession.

Ie. The toys belonged to the boys.

The boys <-- plural
The boys' toys <-- then add possession

Don't put the possession in the plural word, just add it on the end.

... a sign writer's responsibility...

hides

I think apostrophes will disappear eventually