Why do we still have so many apostrophes in English?

[Boliviabae]

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

You’re getting the battering you deserve. Ridiculous post.

Because, for example, we say ‘the girl’s coat’ and not ‘the coat of the girl’!

"You're getting the battering you deserve".

Jesus that's like something a domestic abuser would say.

OP, I think you need to learn Welsh. It will give you SO MANY MORE difficulties to get het up about, and you'll realise how very easy English is, even including apostrophes.

I mean, why do they even bother with all those mutations? And predictive text is of absolutely NO use in those situations. The apostrophe is a minor blip in comparison.

Op you are like a dog with a bone and are white upright shall we say.

I'm just shocked at the extremely violent language that the poster used. This place has become a cesspit. Violent langauge like that is disgusting.

My friend used to go out with a very abusive man. I remember after he hit her he would say to her "you deserved it".

She managed to get away from him

You deserved a battering is disgusting language.

For heaven's sake it's one extra second- for the sake of proper spelling and grammar.

It is figurative speech though. Do you generally go through your daily life getting upset about small things?

Oh, let’s just hope no one takes a stroll through your old posts—there are some absolute gems in there.

Reading comprehension, spelling and grammar really aren’t your thing, are they?

Yes they really are my thing.

Go away bully.

English doesn’t use more apostrophes than Gaelic! Learn that for a sense of proportion!

You could use the same crap argument for all sorts of things. Table manners, Ps&Qs, queueing, spelling, playing music loudly on public transport. It's all things that "don't matter" in the grand scheme of things, but, once neglected we are left with a big old mess.

,, there’s a couple of commas for you. HTH.

Obviously not. The correct punctuation for that post is:

“Yes, they really are my thing.

Go away, bully.”

But I am guessing you consider commas - and, no doubt, the Oxford comma in particular - as being another form of inconvenient, draconian, and redundant punctuation too?

I only ‘discovered’ the Oxford comma in the last couple of years and think it’s brilliant…….sadly, just as it is apparently ‘going out of fashion’. 😥

You are trying very hard to be deeply offensive, aren’t you?

I’m an English teacher - 16plus and undergraduate. I have multiple degrees in English literature and creative writing. Just spent the weekend with 450 published authors, agents and publishers. Completing my PhD this year. We all understand the need for apostrophes, amongst other linguistic devices.

Nothing in my post is pathetic. The wilful refusal to understand the form and function of grammar and punctuation, is, arguably, more than pathetic.

"It's" and "its" mean different things. "Your" and "you're" mean different things.

How is the use of pronouns in other languages relevant?

Why do we use pronouns all the time when Japanese doesn't?
Why do we use "a" and "the" when most languages don't even use articles?

Why would you assume I would correct punctuation in a friend’s text? I corrected yours as you have intentionally belittled and disparraged people on this thread and thus indicated that it was open season on editing each other’s replies.

You have posted that you think apostrophes and similar punctuation should be redundant. You invited comment by your thread and have then been belligerent and offensive in response to pretty much every single reply. You are not interested in understanding WHY apostrophes are necessary or what their function is in response to your OP. You merely wanted reflected approval and a round of applause and are defensive because that was not what the response you received.

BTW the meaning of ‘pathetic’ is 1) arousing pity and 2) miserably inadequate. Nothing in my PPs - or that of many of the others responding to your OP - satisfy the use of that word.