To tell teacher friend about grammar error?

[ImaSababa]

A friend of mine is a primary school teacher, and is making and selling cushions on Facebook. Lovely. The problem is, they're riddled with mistakes, such as "Christmas at the Johnson's" when surely is should be "Johnsons'".

Should I tell her?

I do try to get things right but I know I say 'are' in cases like 'the team are in the changing room' because we say 'the All Blacks are in the changing room'. The people involved in the sentence are the same so to me it's a bit confusing. And why is 'team' different to 'staff'? No one says 'the staff is in the staffroom'.

@Forgetaboutme

To many people hear with no clue. You have too tell her, ignore the people telling you not too, their wrong.

You are getting to & too mixed up.

@DC3Dakota - you also missed that Forgetaboutme used the wrong "hear" and "their" - I think we can safely assume they are doing it on purpose "for the LOLs".

@Daphnise

One might suggest finding something a little more important to worry about.

Teachers are often not that well educated in grammar.

There's no real consensus on whether this teacher is actually wrong anyway, though I'd say not.

It’s not about reaching a consensus here and you don’t get to “say not”.

There are actual rules about this shit and anyone selling personalised items, not to mention anyone teaching future generations these bloody rules, should know them!

I make personalised items as part of my business and I’d be mortified to know I’d spelled something wrong or used incorrect grammar.

I’m no expert but as someone putting words onto items I’d double abs triple check anything tricky.

fucking abs everytime autocorrect, really?! I’m going to talk about my non-existent abs more than using the word ‘and’ FFS

@SummerHouse

Oh who cares. No one agrees. I just find ways not to use apostrophe's.

"apostrophes"

@MarkRuffaloCrumble

fucking abs everytime autocorrect, really?! I’m going to talk about my non-existent abs more than using the word ‘and’ FFS

OMG, this happens to me every time I type ‘and’. ‘Abs’ is not even a word ffs!

I think the only way you can correct her without being a dick is to order one but ask for the apostrophe to be done 'this way'. Depends how commited you are to the cause to buy a cringy cushion.

But unless there's just the one "Johnson" surely it's "Christmas at the Johnsons' "

s followed by apostrophe for possession with a plural.

Now if it was "Jones" or any other name ending in an S that would befuddle me....

Jones would be: Christmas at the Joneses’. (Plural of Jones = Joneses. Then add the plural possessive apostrophe.)

@ClareBlue

Doesn't matter if it is correct or not. It makes no difference to selling the cushions. The fact you mention she is a teacher implies you want to make a point. Why is it important to you?

Would you by a cushion with an obvious written error on it?

Arggh, would you buy

If you Google images of abs you get some pretty toned bodies, so Google recognises it.
Not that it means anything, but I’m signed off sick (not CV, thankfully) and bored.

OP you are correct (English teacher here), at the Johnsons' house needs the apostrophe after the plural. I would leave her to it, poor grammar and punctuation is so widespread that most people won't notice (or care).

@ginghamstarfish

OP you are correct (English teacher here), at the Johnsons' house needs the apostrophe after the plural. I would leave her to it, poor grammar and punctuation is so widespread that most people won't notice (or care).

As are comma splices, apparently...

I think people DO care about punctuation and grammar, as a matter of fact.

I'm always terrified to post in these threads, in case I unintentionally post a howler!

I agree with the PPs that it should be at the Jonhsons' (plural). I cringe at products with incorrect grammar, but am also incredulous at the number of people who make basic mistakes like 'could of' instead of could have. Yep obv some rules are very tricky and hard to get right, but there are basic rules that can completely change the meaning of a sentence if used incorrectly.

@user68634

I think the only way you can correct her without being a dick is to order one but ask for the apostrophe to be done 'this way'. Depends how commited you are to the cause to buy a cringy cushion.

She’s a teacher, for heaven’s sake! She should be aware of something as basic as using the apostrophe correctly.

Earlier this thread went off on a tangent about group nouns taking plural verbs. I've just seen a headline along the line of "Couple dies from Covid" which sounds a bit odd to my ear. I've started a thread on it in Pedants' Corner. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pedants_corner/4082373-Does-couple-dies-from-Covid-sound-a-bit-odd-to-you

(Forget what you've heard about Pedants' Corner; it's actually quite a friendly place that likes a lively discussion about correct language.)

I think people DO care about punctuation and grammar, as a matter of fact.

Well, some do, some don't. Even on a thread about grammar, you get people coming on to question why it matters and why people would waste their time discussing it or caring what other people write.