Shall I choose my estate agent based on a punctuation error?

[milkwasabadchoice]

Obviously it's not the only criteria, but the decision has come down to two agents. One has an "it's" on its website that should be an "its".

This seems to have tipped the scales in favour of the other agent.

Is this madness? It seems a bit mad, but if you can't bloody punctuate properly on your website, you are a tad crap, IMHO. What do you think?

[miffybun73]

Yes, I would.

[MirandaGoshawk]

OP - I wouldn't use an estate agent that had spelling mistakes. Would drive me nuts.

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

YANBU, OP. Yes, you should.

[starkadder]

Ps definitely choose the grammatical EA

[starkadder]

I say criterion too . Never thought there was anything weird about that. I wouldn't go as far as saying "datum" or even "the data are" though.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

"The question I was asking was, the op said 'it was not the only' implying there is more than one surely? "

This is not the only criterion
These are not the only criteria.

this is not the only baby
these are not the only babies.

it works in exactly the same way as all plurals.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

one criterion - one condition, one necessary point.
criteria - two or more conditions or necessary points.
(like bedrooms is the plural of bedroom, criteria is the plural of criterion.)

In fact, maybe we should use more latin/greek/old english plurals - we might find that bloody apostrophe being used less.


like brother/brethren, child/children, ox/oxen, stadium/stadia, criterion/criteria, datum/data

[GibberTheMonkey]

Actually I do get it now by having a think but not because of this thread

[GibberTheMonkey]

The question I was asking was, the op said 'it was not the only' implying there is more than one surely?

That's why I was asking because we were then told the rule was criteria for plural and as I thought that was plural .
Never mind I don't understand it.

[Cooroo]

GibberTheMonkey - originally (? Greek? have to look it up), 'criterion' meant one condition that has to be fulfilled, and 'criteria' meant many.

So the OP referred to punctuation being not the 'only criteria' and I made the point that that should be 'only criterion'.

Explanation offered because you said you wanted to know - but I wouldn't sweat about it!

[MirandaWest]

I use criterion. But I can be a little pedantic .

It would annoy me if an estate agency used it's when they meant its.

[streakybacon]

I'm more surprised that you only found one error. Estate agents' particulars are usually littered with them.

dotty I'd have avoided that school too.

[GibberTheMonkey]

Mehrida- bedrooms? No I was querying why criterium was correct over criteria. I don't know the rules (rubbish education, want to learn) but the rule that was given didn't seem to work for me.

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

I use "criterion." Pedants' Corner is my favorite part of Mumsnet.

[Cooroo]

LOL at bunaglows.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

and i think that internet forums is the acceptable (like mouses in computer speak rather than mice), but fora for all other areas of life. same as stadia etc.

[FunnysInLaJardin]

I would chose my agent on the basis of whether I liked them and thought they would sell my house tbh, not whether they used it's or its

[UniqueAndAmazing]

datum - of course that's in use too - except it's not normally used, because you usually have more than one.

you don't normally have one datum, you normally have several data.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

of course people use criterion these days.


I used it yesterday (twice!)

[Shodan]

I'd think the same as you, OP.

In fact I stopped frequenting a bakery that restyled itself as a 'pattisserie' for the same reason- if they couldn't get their sign right, who knew what they might be getting wrong in their baking?

Tsk.

[Mehrida]

Gibber are you asking about the bedroom's?

It just shouldn't have an apostrophe in there.

[dotty2]

oops - if I'm in pedants' corner, I suppose that should be 'its having a sign up'. Save the gerund!

[dotty2]

I ruled out a school on the grounds of it having a sign up saying 'when you've done something wrong, say your sorry'.

[GibberTheMonkey]

If its not the only one then it's plural surely?
I love mn. I have learned more grammar on here than I ever did at school.

[Mehrida]

I would absolutely judge an estate agent on their use of its.

PILs recently put their house on the market. Their estate agent mentioned that their house has two bedroom's.

I nearly passed out.