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Original poster

Why do we still have so many apostrophes in English?

304 replies

Boliviabae · 27/06/2025 19:35

It takes so much longer to type anything on the phone.

Apostrophe's were originally in place to show two words shortened into one. But the shortened versions of the words have been in the English langauge for so long now, why do we need the apostrophes.

The word 'Dont' for example, is easily understandable, without an apostrophe.

OP posts:
Slebs · 27/06/2025 20:26

Boliviabae · 27/06/2025 19:35

It takes so much longer to type anything on the phone.

Apostrophe's were originally in place to show two words shortened into one. But the shortened versions of the words have been in the English langauge for so long now, why do we need the apostrophes.

The word 'Dont' for example, is easily understandable, without an apostrophe.

Apostrophes, or more correctly, the apostrophe.

The apostrophe is used for contraction of words, as you say but also for possesion.

E.g. The apostrophe's apostrophe in the OP's sentence was unnecessary.

IToldYouSoSee · 27/06/2025 20:25

Boliviabae · 27/06/2025 19:50

On mumsnet? If you don't write perfect English on mumsnet, you will be jumped on.

I wrote a post on mumset once without apostrophes, as I was fed up of using them.

I got about ten posts from people complaining about my lack of use of apostrophes.

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And yet your OP here has a wrongly used apostrophe (they are not needed in a simple plural) and no one jumped.

Other languages have way more complexities than the apostrophe, cases, different structures and use of verbs/masculine, feminine, neutral, vocative, cursive and printed scripts being different, vowels completely absent.

So many moan about ‘are England’ and can’t even spell or construct their own language correctly.

tammienorrie · 27/06/2025 20:22

Boliviabae · 27/06/2025 19:47

How come we use more than other languages do?

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Because in other languages possessives are formed differently. El coche de Juan - Juan’s car. La maison de Julie - Julie’s house.

murasaki · 27/06/2025 20:22

I'll probably die on the hill that is people using 'less' when it should be 'fewer'.

DP does it to wind me up and will probably have it engraved on my tombstone.

HangryLikeTheHulk · 27/06/2025 20:22

I use apostrophe fails (and inappropriate capitalisation) as a highly reliable indicator of who’s a far-right wingnut. The correlation is as tight as your dad.

ScrambledSmegs · 27/06/2025 20:20

This is such a weird hill to choose to die on.

FastFood · 27/06/2025 20:18

Boliviabae · 27/06/2025 19:45

It was a long time ago.

Languages evolve. Apostrophes are inconvenient, and add time to typing

I don't think that any other language uses apostrophes, as much as English does.

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Have you met french?

TeenLifeMum · 27/06/2025 20:17

I disagree, but I’m a grammar and apostrophe pedant. My dc send me text messages with full sentences and punctuation or they get a reply with a correction. Everyone in my work field is similar due to the nature of the work we produce. The only people I’ve met who don’t use grammar appropriately have a lower education level. I’ve also employed people with dyslexia, one currently on my team, and they’re amazing, intelligent and able to use correct grammar.

murasaki · 27/06/2025 20:16

OldChinaJug · 27/06/2025 20:12

That's already been said by someone else, and I've already replied.

You don't need a comma in this sentence either.

I agree, but maybe the OP is a fan of the Oxford comma.

I suspect not.

murasaki · 27/06/2025 20:15

Some countries use them in names, e.g. Tonga and Samoa. It would be very rude to miss them out.

OldChinaJug · 27/06/2025 20:14

Boliviabae · 27/06/2025 20:04

I completely disagree.

My friend is dyslexic for a start, she doesn't have great use of grammar, yet she is highly intelligent.

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I'd be more worried about your understanding of commas than the use of apostrophes.

sparklychair · 27/06/2025 20:12

You'd better not read any Victorian novels, OP. Sometimes there is more than one apostrophe in a word, and I am pretty certain I have seen 3.
Nb. The Dutch use lots of apostrophes, IIRC.

OldChinaJug · 27/06/2025 20:12

That's already been said by someone else, and I've already replied.

You don't need a comma in this sentence either.

scalt · 27/06/2025 20:11

Why is “abbreviation” such a long word?
Why is “apostrophe” such a long word?

The shop was selling potato’s, carrot’s, apple’s, oranges’s.

There we’re more, but my eye’s couldn’t take it!

Jc2001 · 27/06/2025 20:10

Boliviabae · 27/06/2025 19:47

How come we use more than other languages do?

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Other languages use all sorts of symbols and accents that aren't used in English, as well as gender based words.

It's all part of the beauty of language. Why dumb everything down just because it's easier to type out on a text message.

W0tnow · 27/06/2025 20:08

Boliviabae · 27/06/2025 19:51

But how is it "correct English".

When the word 'It's' evolved from two words 'It is'.

Languages evolve along the way. There is no single correct version

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Yes but it’s and its are two different words.

MyDeftDuck · 27/06/2025 20:07

Cyclistmumgrandma · 27/06/2025 19:43

Because that is correct grammar.

This…..along with the fact that ‘OF’ is not an alternative for ‘HAVE’

Serpentstooth · 27/06/2025 20:06

I once had the pleasure of being a temp for a guy who didnt 'believe' in punctuation as it was untidy. His letters to clients were pure gibberish. A lot of my day was taken up by answering phone calls from bewildered clients asking "wtf is this rubbish?" He didn't make any effort to render his creations into something understandable, simply left out all commas, apostrophes and full stops. Nuts. Utterly nuts. Have you married him OP?

BIossomtoes · 27/06/2025 20:06

Boliviabae · 27/06/2025 20:04

I completely disagree.

My friend is dyslexic for a start, she doesn't have great use of grammar, yet she is highly intelligent.

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Well, you would, wouldn’t you?

Sminty2 · 27/06/2025 20:06

Or Ill or I’ll. Are you sick or will you?

Original poster
Boliviabae · 27/06/2025 20:04

GoldfinchFeather · 27/06/2025 19:57

Correct use of grammar makes you look intelligent.

Incorrect use of grammar makes you look unintelligent and/or lazy.

I completely disagree.

My friend is dyslexic for a start, she doesn't have great use of grammar, yet she is highly intelligent.

OP posts:
Original poster
Boliviabae · 27/06/2025 20:03

notatinydancer · 27/06/2025 19:59

It’s short for I am.

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Eh we all know that.

What I'm saying is the contraction of the two words didn't always exist.

It was originay "I am", then they changed it to "I'm " to make it easier. Language evolves and changes.**

OP posts:
Original poster
Boliviabae · 27/06/2025 20:01

Bikergran · 27/06/2025 19:53

No apostrophe in the plural of apostrophes.

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Already been said SEVERAL times. Ffs.

As I already replied, I know it is spelled as 'apostrophes', and I spelled it correctly in my second and third post.

It was a typo slip on my phone, in my first post.

I'm sure you angels never make a typo mistake on your phone ever, of course

OP posts:
murasaki · 27/06/2025 19:59

The apostrophe as you don't want to use it indicates a missing letter. In the same as the circumflex in French indicates a missing letter 's'. These things are there for a reason.

It's a good thing you never ran into the nominative, accusative, genitive, dative and ablative cases that some languages have. For one word.

notatinydancer · 27/06/2025 19:59

Boliviabae · 27/06/2025 19:56

"I'm" wasn't always a word either though, was it.

Someone made it up along the way.

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It’s short for I am.