Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
MrsKypp · 29/06/2025 17:24

@sashh That's appalling! What did your own lecturer say about that - did they see the slides?

sashh · 29/06/2025 04:09

Boliviabae · 28/06/2025 10:19

It doesn't matter.

We already use the same spelling for different words in English.

Eg "read a book"
"Book a taxi"

Show quote history

But you were just saying that they were the same, a contraction of 'it is', when they are different words.

It's like 'girl's' and 'girls' ' different meaning and the only way you know the meaning is from the apostrophe.

@MrsKypp During my teacher training we had a lecture from someone who worked in a high school and went in to primaries to basically 'sell' the school and then work with year &s.

So far so good, she put a slide up of who she worked with

Headteacher's
Parent's
Pupil's and on and on.

I thought, if I was a parent, that would put me totally off that school.

LegoLivingRoom · 28/06/2025 14:07

MrsKypp · 28/06/2025 13:21

I find apostrophes useful and pretty logical in English. There's always a good reason why/when they're needed eg to indicate a letter has been omitted, contractions, possession or whatever.

The trouble is that not all schools seem to teach how to use them. Then not everybody understands what they indicate and don't know when they're needed or not. For example, I've often seen people add them to plurals (which my brain initially reads as possession - after a moment of confusion I then realise what's happened).

I'm not a grammar nazi, but I do think apostrophes are useful and help keep the meaning of a text clear.

I have quite a clear memory of being given an extension activity in school (because I finished ahead of everyone) which was a worksheet on using apostrophes. It’s the reason I know how to use them and it makes me wonder when everyone else in my school were taught how to use them (back in the 90s).

That said, I think schools are much better when it comes to teaching punctuation and grammar nowadays. Even in primary school DD was learning things I had never heard of.

Somethingsnapped · 28/06/2025 13:37

MrsKypp · 28/06/2025 13:21

I find apostrophes useful and pretty logical in English. There's always a good reason why/when they're needed eg to indicate a letter has been omitted, contractions, possession or whatever.

The trouble is that not all schools seem to teach how to use them. Then not everybody understands what they indicate and don't know when they're needed or not. For example, I've often seen people add them to plurals (which my brain initially reads as possession - after a moment of confusion I then realise what's happened).

I'm not a grammar nazi, but I do think apostrophes are useful and help keep the meaning of a text clear.

A reasonable reply in the midst of what seems to be the mumsnet equivalent of a bar brawl!

Honestly though, I can see why OP is getting wound up... The very first one or two posts to highlight the original apostrophe typo, were quite amusing (even though it was written correctly in the title, so clearly op knows how it's written), but the many, many others since then are becoming a bit tedious. Be original people!

MrsKypp · 28/06/2025 13:21

I find apostrophes useful and pretty logical in English. There's always a good reason why/when they're needed eg to indicate a letter has been omitted, contractions, possession or whatever.

The trouble is that not all schools seem to teach how to use them. Then not everybody understands what they indicate and don't know when they're needed or not. For example, I've often seen people add them to plurals (which my brain initially reads as possession - after a moment of confusion I then realise what's happened).

I'm not a grammar nazi, but I do think apostrophes are useful and help keep the meaning of a text clear.

Highsmithery · 28/06/2025 13:17

I never read the full thread. Sometimes I ‘read all’ from the OP. But I can’t be doing with pages of comments.

grumpygrape · 28/06/2025 13:09

Boliviabae · 28/06/2025 12:58

Of course.

It's irritating when people do not read the thread and then post something that has been posted ten times before.

Why do it? It is immature.

I always read the full thread before I post.

Show quote history

Have you tried reading the room as well ?

Kirova · 28/06/2025 13:06

Boliviabae · 28/06/2025 10:40

I will ask you again, as you didn't answer.

Do you agree with the poster who said that people who can't spell have low intelligence?

Show quote history

I don't believe that's actually what poster said. But no, I don't think that - and I'm not sure where I gave the impression I did.

Original poster
Boliviabae · 28/06/2025 12:58

Highsmithery · 28/06/2025 12:55

You sound cross, OP. 😬

Of course.

It's irritating when people do not read the thread and then post something that has been posted ten times before.

Why do it? It is immature.

I always read the full thread before I post.

OP posts:
Highsmithery · 28/06/2025 12:55

You sound cross, OP. 😬

Original poster
Boliviabae · 28/06/2025 12:49

Highsmithery · 28/06/2025 12:49

Can I ask you, What do you think you are adding to the conversation, by writing the exaxt same thing that has already been written ten times?

I didn’t RTFT, so I’m just adding to the wind up rather than anything worthwhile 😂

Read the fucking thread then.

It's ridiculous.

OP posts:
Boliviabae · 28/06/2025 12:49

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Highsmithery · 28/06/2025 12:49

Can I ask you, What do you think you are adding to the conversation, by writing the exaxt same thing that has already been written ten times?

I didn’t RTFT, so I’m just adding to the wind up rather than anything worthwhile 😂

Original poster
Boliviabae · 28/06/2025 12:47

ProperLavs · 28/06/2025 11:47

It’s a cracker of a statement!

Show quote history

'Apostrophes' is spelled correctly in my thread title.

Why ignore that?

Because people are nasty bullies that's why, and they just love laughing at other people's mistakes.

As people are so utterly petty and nasty on here, I am going to go back through people's posts and point out their mistakes.

OP posts:
Original poster
Boliviabae · 28/06/2025 12:45

Highsmithery · 28/06/2025 11:29

Apostrophe's were originally in place to show two words shortened into one.

The irony of both an incorrect apostrophe and an incorrect statement.

Apostrophes are used to denote a contraction and also to indicate possession.

I spelled 'Apostrophes' correct in my thread title, in my second post and in my third post.

I find it utterly bizarre that people keep picking on the one post where I made a typo mistake, which was clearly a slip of the finger on a phone.

I find it even more bizarre that posters come on here and write the exact same thing over and over.

You are about the tenth poster to write this.

Can I ask you, What do you think you are adding to the conversation, by writing the exaxt same thing that has already been written ten times?

OP posts:
ProperLavs · 28/06/2025 11:47

Highsmithery · 28/06/2025 11:29

Apostrophe's were originally in place to show two words shortened into one.

The irony of both an incorrect apostrophe and an incorrect statement.

Apostrophes are used to denote a contraction and also to indicate possession.

It’s a cracker of a statement!

laughingnow · 28/06/2025 11:38

🤣🤯🤓

CustardySergeant · 28/06/2025 11:35

Boliviabae · 28/06/2025 09:07

It's a processing disorder that leads to errors in spelling AND grammar.

Do you know anyone with Dyslexia? You din't sound like you do.

One of my best friend's has dyslexia. She often gets grammar and sentence structure wrong. She is still highly intelligent.

Show quote history

The plural of friend is friends. No apostrophe.__

Highsmithery · 28/06/2025 11:29

Apostrophe's were originally in place to show two words shortened into one.

The irony of both an incorrect apostrophe and an incorrect statement.

Apostrophes are used to denote a contraction and also to indicate possession.

ProperLavs · 28/06/2025 11:20

@Boliviabae what are hoping to gain from all of this?

queenofthesuburbs · 28/06/2025 10:54

Boliviabae · 28/06/2025 03:13

Another nasty, pathetic, disgusting post.

By the way you made a punctuation mistake.

There should be a full stop at the end of your sentence.

Show quote history

How is it pathetic and disgusting? I’m not blaming the person who can’t use correct grammar and making no assumptions as to their intelligence; I’m merely saying that they will have been let down by the education system in not finding it easy!

Original poster
Boliviabae · 28/06/2025 10:40

Kirova · 28/06/2025 10:30

"You could cause an argument in a paper bag."

😂😂Oh, the irony!

I will ask you again, as you didn't answer.

Do you agree with the poster who said that people who can't spell have low intelligence?

OP posts:
Kirova · 28/06/2025 10:30

"You could cause an argument in a paper bag."

😂😂Oh, the irony!

Original poster
Boliviabae · 28/06/2025 10:22

Kirova · 28/06/2025 09:45

I didn't say that dyslexia only affects spelling, and I've certainly not said anything about intelligence (low or otherwise).

Show quote history

You could cause an argument in a paper bag.

I didn't say that you did say that you said anything about low intelligence, did I

I said that another poster wrote that people with bad spelling have low intelligence.

I argued with that poster, and said that people with dyslexia can't spell well, and they are still very intelligent.

You then argued me with me about dyslexia. So i wrote, "do you agree with that poster?"

OP posts:
Original poster
Boliviabae · 28/06/2025 10:19

sashh · 28/06/2025 09:49

But 'it's' and 'Its' are different words.

Show quote history

It doesn't matter.

We already use the same spelling for different words in English.

Eg "read a book"
"Book a taxi"

OP posts: