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?

No.

FFS - presumably people will see a picture of the cushion and if they don't like the slogan, or disagree with the grammar, they won't buy it.
If it's personalised tat, they can specify how they want the message, grammar included.

@DadDadDad no just think if the ladies customers are happy why does it bother other's .
Why feel the need to pull someone up on their spelling your not buying one so why does it matter

and with bloody covid lockdown, no one will be spending christmas at anyone else's house anyway.

[quote timeforanewstart]@DadDadDad no just think if the ladies customers are happy why does it bother other's .
Why feel the need to pull someone up on their spelling your not buying one so why does it matter [/quote]
But what if she could get more custom if she corrected it?

I finally came across a really useful tip for teaching apostrophes about 3 years ago- it's always the 's' and plurals that confuse people, especially when the plural is formed by just adding an s.

Cover up the apostrophe and look to the left. The word (singular or plural) should be what you want something to belong to. I honestly find this the easiest way to think about it and explain it to children.

So, Thoma's ball would be the ball belonging to Thoma which is wrong.
Thomas' ball (or Thomas's ball) is correct.

Likewise, as has been said
The girl's ball is a ball belonging to 1 girl, but the girls' ball is a ball belonging to 2 or more girls.

No one in their right mind buys or does not buy cushions based on grammar. I doubt it affects her business in any way. I can't imagine anyone seeing 'Christmas at the Johnsons' and thinking - 'ooh no rogue apostrophe, I feel a soft furnishings urge coming on'

Don't tell her - you'll look like a tit. Sometimes it is more important to be kind than to be right.

No! Does it REALLY matter?

@Benjispruce2

Yes if more than one then Johnsons’ or Johnsones but the latter looks clumsy. I thought the op was arguing for no apostrophe.

Johnsones?!?

I’m not having a go at you benji but I’m completely now. There really is no such rule.

@Benjispruce2

Yes if more than one then Johnsons’ or Johnsones but the latter looks clumsy. I thought the op was arguing for no apostrophe.

No Johnsones is most definitely not correct!

For all those saying it doesn’t matter, it does because firstly, she is teaching children and secondly, the more people see incorrect apostrophes in everyday life, the more likely they are to believe they are correct and use them in the wrong way.

@Forgetaboutme

I love it when people comment on grammatical errors and their own grammar and punctuation is incorrect.
Not naming names though.

@bluewindows

I love it when people comment on grammatical errors and their own grammar and punctuation is incorrect. Not naming names though.

It's an example of Muphry's Law, although it seems it's been observed with other names over the years. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muphry%27s_law

There’s a CORKER up thread though. I couldn’t tell if it was a joke!

@DadDadDad
Very interesting
Thanks

No one in their right mind buys or does not buy cushions based on grammar.

I absolutely would not, in my right mind, buy a grammatically incorrect cushion. I don’t think I am alone in that.

I would tell her!

@Dahlietta

No one in their right mind buys or does not buy cushions based on grammar.

I absolutely would not, in my right mind, buy a grammatically incorrect cushion. I don’t think I am alone in that.

I wouldn't either. But then I am a man, so I wouldn't buy a cushion whatever it looked like.

@Dahlietta

No one in their right mind buys or does not buy cushions based on grammar.

I absolutely would not, in my right mind, buy a grammatically incorrect cushion. I don’t think I am alone in that.

As a family we often buy items that are SO bad...

@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.

Well, a) you’re incorrect, and b) “consensus” (at least in terms of a small self-selection of randomers on this thread) isn’t important - the OP is grammatically correct, the teacher is not, and neither are the posters who say she is right.

@Dahlietta

There’s a CORKER up thread though. I couldn’t tell if it was a joke!

Does it appear twice in this thread? If so, i know the one you mean and I wondered if it was a joke too!

Oh, well, that’s allowed obviously! 😁

@longwayoff

You ommited a question mark at the end of your sentence. More attention to your own grammar before opining on other people.

The OP isn't embroidering her post on a cushion, FFS.

And it's "omitted".

Perhaps the Johnsons are greengrocers.

@NewPapaGuinea

Perhaps the Johnsons are greengrocers.

brilliant! I think I can speak for DP (male) and say he would not buy a cushion with an apostrophe error. He would buy a cushion though.