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Apostrophes

EssieP

EssieP

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unitedkingdom
Is something odd going on in the flight-sim world?
In all the subject areas, on all of the forums I have visited I see the same error over and over again. It appears that it is so prevalent that folks must be thinking that it is correct. What am I talking about- it's apostrophes, specifically, an excess of them.
They are frequently used in plural forms of words, it's the same mistake each time.
This sentence is wrong- "I have installed lots of add-on's" or " I like flight sim's.".
Do you see what I mean, does it bother anyone else?

I suspect that most of you are in the USA, is the rule not taught in schools over there?

I'm puzzled.:teacher:
 
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EssieP said:
Is something odd going on in the flight-sim world?
In all the subject areas, on all of the forums I have visited I see the same error over and over again. It appears that it is so prevalent that folks must be thinking that it is correct. What am I talking about- it's apostrophes, specifically, an excess of them.
They are frequently used in plural forms of words, it's the same mistake each time.
This sentence is wrong- "I have installed lots of add-on's" or " I like flight sim's". Do you see what I mean, does it bother anyone else?

I suspect that most of you are in the USA, is the rule not taught in schools over there?

I'm puzzled.:teacher:
Click to expand...

I blame spell checkers ;)
 
Golf-HotelDelta said:
"Sim's" is correct, the apostrophe denotes missing letters.
Click to expand...
"Sim's" is not correct because there are no missing letters. The word "sim" has been around long enough (in its shortened form) for it to be treated as a word in its own right. "Sim" has its own separate entry in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Perhaps it wasn't such a great example, but the point remains the same; large numbers of writers are using "'s" to make words plural- they are wrong.

Here in the UK we have started to teach grammar again in schools after a very long absence; is it taught in the states?

Scruffyduck- I haven't seen a spell-checker that creates this error- have you? Or are you just taunting me?
 
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EssieP said:
The word "sim" has been around long enough (in its shortened form) for it to be treated as a word in its own right.
Click to expand...
There are multiple definitions of sim, all of which are abreviations or acronyms.
 
Golf-HotelDelta said:
There are multiple definitions of sim, all of which are abreviations or acronyms.
Click to expand...
That used to be true, but not any more. Some abbreviations are in such wide-spread use that they become an independent word as illustrated by the Oxford English Dictionary. 'Sim' now has its own discrete entry:
Sim: n. informal a video game that simulates n activity such as flying an aircraft or playing a sport.
ORIGIN late 20th Cent.:abbrev, of simulation​

So 'Sim' is no longer used as an abbreviation.
This discussion is an aside either way; the problem remains- the mis-use of apostrophes. You're not arguing with that are you?
 
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Undisciplined use of apostrophe's is a sure sign that the world is crumbling into moral decay.;) So are emoticons.:rolleyes:
 
I am reminded of an excellent book on punctuation called: Eats Shoots and Leaves Sadly I cannot recall the name of the author
 
Well, I don't find this thing all that bad in forum posts, folks are in a hurry, don't know there is a spell check button for the forum editor, ESL, etc.

What gets me is the seeming complete lack of ability for "reporters/journalists/authors" to correctly use grammer and spelling anymore. It's amazing the number of typos and grammar mistakes one finds in newspaper and magazine articles - even more amazing finding those sorts of things in published fiction books. I mean, these are folks who are supposed to know/use english as a part of their job :->
 
EssieP

Please lighten up. Your observations are noted, but certianly not new. People get in a hurry, forget letters, forget rules( if they knew them). In the end we know what they are trying to say. Does that make it right? No. But, unless someone is prepared to offer classes... Let's just move on.

Bob
 
I am sorry to say there is a spelling mistake in Beatle's post although it has nothing to do with apostrophes:).
 
OK guys - let's give the man a break. EssieP that is and not Gordon Brown :D

And before any one says anything - that was not a political comment just a clarification ;)
 
not to get upset but:

Here in the USA we ARE taught grammar in schools. (Friday was my last day of school this year :D) Most people, however, prefer getting the message across in the shortest and most understandable way. Instead of saying "Hey everybody," we say (especially here in the South) "Hey y'all" but many people have such are so busy that we dont worry about apostrophes except in formal things:teacher:
 
beatle said:
Well, I don't find this thing all that bad in forum posts, folks are in a hurry, don't know there is a spell check button for the forum editor, ESL, etc.

What gets me is the seeming complete lack of ability for "reporters/journalists/authors" to correctly use grammer and spelling anymore. It's amazing the number of typos and grammar mistakes one finds in newspaper and magazine articles - even more amazing finding those sorts of things in published fiction books. I mean, these are folks who are supposed to know/use english as a part of their job :->
Click to expand...

I guess eight years of George Bush setting the example... ;)
 
Eeek! What's going on here? Instaed of answering my urgent questions, you discuss the correct use of apostrophes? .... ok, don't mind :rolleyes:.


Another aspect might be that not every article, message or whatever is created by a native speaker. I am sure that I am producing more typos and grammar errors than correct sentences with every message I send. But in my opinion the idea of a forum is to have a quick opportunity to exchange ideas. Therefore grammar and spelling don't come first - if you get what the other wants to tell you it's alright.

Vitus
 
andyjohnston.net said:
i guess eight years of george bush setting the example... ;)
Click to expand...

PLEASE DON'T GO THERE! First of all, in the USA many of the children don't care to learn because their parents didn't care to learn. I personally want to go to college, so in my first year of high school (which ended last Friday :D) I have a 4.45 GPA. Obviously not every person has grades that are good but many dont care to have good grades...
 
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scruffyduck said:
I am reminded of an excellent book on punctuation called: Eats Shoots and Leaves Sadly I cannot recall the name of the author
Click to expand...
Lynn Truss http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Tolerance-Punctuation/dp/1846680352/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244477993&sr=8-1
I agree- excellent. It's actually fun to read too. Some of these texts can be a bit stodgy, but not this book. It even clears up the slightly more obscure choice of colons or semi-colons; it helped me a lot.:)
 
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