What specific section of the world do cannibals do not live? But sometimes, it still makes sense for capital letters to have them when without the apostrophe, it could be mistaken for a real word. Similar to Misuse #3, you can substitute what the contraction stands for to see if it makes sense. . Ads are tricky. It drives me batty that my phones predictive text/autocorrect doesnt seem to know what to do with possessive apostrophes. How is it possible for mantle rock to flow? Some colleagues argue that a missing apostrophe in Lets discuss is a grammar mistake; as for me, Im inclined to say that this is just a punctuation mistake. (correct), As others have mentioned/ My pet peeve is using of instead of have as in should of, could of and would of. I also detest the wrong use of pronouns He/him, she/her when coupled with me/I especially when the person is trying to be rude or sarcastic towards someone. Proofread Anywhere does not offer any degrees recognized by employers, act as personal career advisors or guarantee employment by enrolling in its programs. Apostrophes show possession. However, one thing that gets me every time is when people misspell a word, and the way its misspelled causes it to actually form a different word from what was intended. If we leave out the apostrophe in dogs bone, we have dogs, indicating the pluralthat is, many dogswhich will cause momentary confusion for the reader. (And you gotta love to hate that passive voice!!). Argh! Proofread Anywhere believes that it provides you with a valuable toolbox to achieve your desired results, and many students agree. I am doing wonderful. Id have to say one grammar error that bothers me is just misspelled words. I dont know how so many people can get that one wrong! Caitlyn, thanks for this fun post! I always see these 2 words misused. Ive always been taught, remove one of the pronouns and see if the sentence still makes sense. She cut off their tails with a carving knife. But oh, it is. Passive voice (be + -ed form of the verb) for the above sentence would be: "These holiday wishes are sent to you by the Joneses." "There are FEWER houses on that street." At the end, I have a simple test for you. What was the date of sameul de champlians marriage? What do you think about this? This is the only situation where apostrophes can show plurals, and its only to prevent confusion though some style guides, including APA style, do not advise using apostrophes in this way. I know, right?! When using a plural noun, the apostrophe goes after the s. For example: "The squirrels' nuts were hidden in several hollow trees throughout the forest.". Incorrect: Whats yours is mine, and whats mine is yours. But wait if its shows possession, shouldnt it have an apostrophe? Thanks again for a most enjoyable read and for adding the hilarious cartoon visuals! grammar mistake that drives editors crazy, I Tried the Bug Bite Thing, and Yes, It Actually Stops Mosquito Bites From Itching, These Are the Most Uniquely Popular Texting Acronyms in Every State, More Than 300 Words Were Just Added to Dictionary.com, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Can you get Mommys purse from the car?, The buses wheels went round and round., The three blind mices tails got cut off with a carving knife.. Writers used to show possession by adding -es to the end of a noun, long before spelling conventions made -es a plural noun form. There are three main reasons to use an apostrophe according to one of my favorite style guides, The Chicago Manual of Style: Pretty simple, right? SO many grammar pet peeves. Yall is nothing short of ignorant bad grammar! When we write the time, we sometimes use oclock: We use an apostrophe to contract it is to its. I HATE when people say for all intensive purposes. Read more on apostrophes used incorrectly with plurals. When I read the content of this article, I initially thought "that's not incorrect" and tried very hard to picture myself writing something such as 2000s using an apostrophe. Hi, Anna!!! Write with Grammarly. If necessary, from the team of girls and boys. Thus, an apostrophe is not appropriate here. Costumercustomer a It's difficult to understand my grandchildren. If you cant find a precedent, its probably best to use a different word or phrase; unduly creative apostrophe use will inevitably distract your readers. the dogs collars). Most of the time, if a singular noun ends with an s (or sounds like it does) you can safely add the apostrophe and the s: James's car. I really dislike in correct grammar and misspelled words when I am reading something. The misinterpretation of a behaviour greatly hampers its resolution, because it . So both Big hair was popular in the 1980s and Big hair was popular in the 80s are correct. I dislike when someone uses an apostrophe in place of the final g in a word (fixin'). The rules about forming possessive nouns probably cause the most apostrophe confusion. If a pronoun word contains an apostrophe, it is a contraction (like it's, who's, you're), not a possessive (its, whose, yours). 1. 5. That's a very reputable newspaper and hundreds of mistakes!! However, if you were saying I got all Bs and Cs, you dont necessarily need the apostrophes since neither of those could be mistaken for real words like As could. If youre writing something very formal, you may want to avoid using them except in cases like oclock, where the full phrase (of the clock) truly is rare. It's not grammar, but how about the rampant mispronunciation of 'str'? Its crazy how annoying that can be! I love them all equally, and I would never be able to leave them. Keep this in mind, especially when you are writing about specific decades, such as the 60s or the 90s. For years Ive been the only member, But now I know Im not alone. No, because its is a possessive modifier and pronoun, not a possessive noun. "Me and Jim went to the movies". Is the speaker at the location where you should bring an item there. The class' pet bunny was missing. Apostrophes for possession show that a thing belongs to someone or something. Or keep the punctuation train going with our guide to using a hyphen vs. a dash. From time to time, Proofread Anywhere may compensate some past students with a gift card or other nominal remuneration that encourages them to voluntarily provide an honest testimonial of their experience, whether positive or negative. I really do hate typing on my phone. I really get irritated when people say I could care less instead of I couldnt care less. It just cuts my ear. I get deer in the headlights looks when I mention things like run on sentences. They allow students to simply write however they write. Perhaps the most common and embarrassing punctuation error is the confusion between its and its. 0 && stateHdr.searchDesk ? Apostrophes that fall at the beginning of a contraction are often mistyped as left-hand single quotation marks, when the apostrophe is actually identical to the right-hand single quotation mark. Also, irregardless is NOT a word! Heres 6 which should be Herere 6 because 6 is plural. You pretty much covered the other ones. Tradition dictates that these possessives dont have an apostrophe: hers, its, yours, ours, theirs, his. is also frequently the victim of apostrophe abuse. When it should be, 'and me.' Unrelated comments may be deleted. Using an unnecessary apostrophe to form the plural of a noun is a very common mistake. Incorrect: I eat pancakes and vegan sausages almost every day. Apostrophes dont pluralize numbers any more than they do words. Misspelled words-DH spells biscuits as bisquits on the shopping list every single time. Of course, all of the "your, you're" and "their, they're, there" misspellings. If only the English language were a little less confusing. And it just showed up in my predictive text! Grammarly can check your spelling and save you from grammar and punctuation mistakes. Some recommend adding only an apostrophe: Charles Dickens novels My pet peeve is in using the wrong word instead of the contraction. Grammarly offers a full range of writing feedback, with real-time suggestions on clarity, vocabulary, tone, and more. Using apostrophes correctly is one easy way to boost your writing. possessive and contraction apostrophe rules, Background: Tolchik / iStock / Getty Images Plus. Its is a contraction for it is. Mine? The planets atmospheres. Occasionally, you might see eer (instead of ever) in poetry. It would have an apostrophe if it was possessive or a contraction and none if it's plural: New year's eve/day/party - possessive (the eve of new year) New year's great - contraction (new year is great) Two new years ago - plural. So, how did you go? We have all received holiday cards at some point that look like these: Incorrect: The Joness are sending you well wishes for the holidays. end in an "s" and if it does then add the apostrophe after the Occasionally, an apostrophe is used with plurals to avoid confusion. The cake is done.. I actually had to have a Facebook post I responded to removed by a marketing guru because the response from the group was akin to the torch-carrying mob coming after me at the climax of the movie "Frankenstein. Cruickz 6 yr. ago. SizarCaesar or Cesar for Spanish Your sister and me (or Me & your sister) have it covered! Instead, for abbreviated dates, put the apostrophe in the front. Or should that me "who" am I quoting? Use whichever style matches the style guide you use for your writing. Example: I could of won!. UGH! Are you writing a holiday card and adding an. How can you tell is a firm is incorporated? Also be careful with words like men, women and children. Oh! For example, some believe their cat acts out of revenge or feels guilty when it's caught or scolded after doing something forbidden. This is a great refresher on the rules. Your is always used for possession; youre is that pesky contraction you are and I just dont understand why that is so hard for people. For Possessive Nouns When you consider apostrophes, the first word that probably comes to mind is possessive because our grade-school teachers taught us that apostrophes make things possessivemore specifically, apostrophes make nouns possessive. Incorrect: My brother always finds fun things to do. In such cases you are encouraged to add only an apostrophe. It makes my hair curl! Fingers move faster than my brain! Other words get badly confused when apostrophes are left out. Lunivore. ), Using possessive personal pronouns in joint constructions often sounds awkward (, ). The apostrophe for plurals is a good one, too. Yes and it should also have s after the apostrophe. It's as if those who spell it "ya'll" don't understand that it's a contraction of you + all! So I think its now time to open up the membership in the A.S.P.C.A. Most writers dont have trouble with the possessive pronouns my, mine, his, her, and our. I see it in print everywhere, but the worst offenders are on Facebook. My pet peeve is with the word, "Ain't", and then using it as a double negative. For example, "You can ride to the store with Jill and I," or "The water splashed all over Dan and I!" Saying " go/goes " instead of " said/says ". Historically, I have other pet peeves, but what I find hair-tearingly obnoxious now is the modern compulsion to replace every "me" with an "I": Katie collaborated with Joan and I for the groundwater proposal. Grammarlys punctuation checker works in your. Make me cringe every time!! Im pretty sure I am responsible for the correction in the Trop50 commercials. Both lets and letsthe version without the apostrophe and the one with itare variations of let, which is a verb (action word) meaning to allow something or give permission.. Kansas main airport, Charles Dickenss novels Did I just misuse a colon? Or have you ever been guilty of committing one of these apostrophe crimes? NOOOO! The practice of showing an awkward plural with an apostrophe is condoned by all the leading grammar references. My dogs are going to stay at home while we go out. Correct: Parents' Day. In this world of spell check now you think it would be easier. We can use an apostrophe + s to show duration. When in doubt, take em out! Grammarly leaders share our vision for the AI-connected workplace. The last two points make NO sense with the sentenceand yet there they sit. How the coil springs look like as you move it back and forth.? When in doubt, look it up and get it right!, No rhyme and not as pithy, I admit, but I still prefer my way. I used to live on Judgement Street in a town in Wisconsin. Or what has now apparently become an accepted business phrase, to use out of pocket to mean unavailable instead of meaning that you had to spend money on something. *sigh*, Yes! These are known as possessive pronouns. (the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to the Apostrophe). Using I instead of me: He told Susan and I the whole story. The opposite is just as bad, "Roger and me went to the movie." Make sure to look up the proper spelling of the particular holiday name before jotting it down. But whom am I quoting? Id like to think that each time I prevent an incorrect apostrophe from being published, an angel gets its wings! An apostrophe is part of the word it belongs to, so it should not be separated from that word by a, In the second example, take note of the apostrophe at the beginning of. When a singular noun has possession over another noun (such as Moms hat or the boys dog), add an apostrophe + s to the end of the noun. And when it's someone's or somebody's then it only one so it would be aposterfiy s. - user54790. It takes substantial time, effort, and dedication to be successful with any endeavor you pursue. With very few exceptions, apostrophes do not make nouns plural. "I notice a lot of stuff, but I have learned not to care so much about someones grammar that I dont notice the value of what they have to say. " 3. Since these factors differ for each individual, we cannot guarantee your success, results, or income level, nor are we responsible for your success or failure. Its not an apostrophe comment, but how about pants? A pair of pants is singular , two pairs of pants, or shoes is plural. ** This shows that there is a group of dogs. When one thing belongs to two or more people jointly, make only the final name possessive: Bob and Jims bait shop (Bob and Jim co-own a bait shop. We could use a few more of us in the world, yeah?! I think it gives away a persons overall poor grammar. What is poor man and the rich man declamation about? It should be for all intents and purposes, correct? How about an email confirmation that your shipment is on its way? Use whichever style matches the style guide you use for your writing. Or seen a sign that reads Coffee and Doughnuts? 2022 Proofread Anywhere. Also remember that you can ask a question or suggest a future topic by leaving us a comment below! Opposite of a person or thing that is very popular or held in high regard. As with any business-related program or online training program, your results using Proofread Anywhere's General Proofreading: Theory & Practice, Transcript Proofreading: Theory & Practice, and any other Proofread Anywhere LLC products, may vary from the consumer testimonials published on Proofread Anywhere's websites and social media pages. And they are not intending to say they are careless. ", People writing "of" instead of "have"; as in "I should of been more careful" when they mean "I should've been more careful". Your/you're. Some people believe, and even teach, that the apostrophe alone may also be used for the possessive of singulars already ending in -s, but they are wrong. Either of these is fine: James dog or Jamess dog. Also, "affect" and "effect" get my molars grinding. Consumer Testimonials and Important Disclaimers. 1. Usually they mean wary but use the former instead. I must say, I often comment on people's typos without being invited to do so. Even though we dont use an apostrophe in spoken English, we pronounce hell differently from hell, so its important to differentiate them in writing. The moment you add an owned object to dogs is the moment it becomes a possessive form. Parts of speech are rarely taught. When the noun is plural, we put the apostrophe after the s: There was a big teachers conference last week in Mexico City. However, lately peoples pronunciation of certain words are really bugging me. Example: "cats' tails.". Check these forms out to see which one is which:SingularDogPluralDogsSingular possessiveDogsPlural possessiveDogs. It was just ten minutes walk from my house to my office. The apostrophe is a real grammar villain. "He gave it to Jim and I". Enter your first name & email address to get The Essential Kickstart Guide To Proofreading today. We have found apostrophes in some pretty strange places. Sometimes I actually use aint in my writing it is always clear that its for emphasis, though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0NZYhPLb50, Grammar Pet Peeves: 6 Ways to Use Apostrophes Correctly, Setting up Your Freelance Website [A Free Guide to Making Extra Money Online], To stand in for missing letters or numerals, Or to form the plural of certain expressions. Most writers dont have trouble with the, that tend to cause the confusion. Write with Grammarly Possessive forms of singular nouns The possessive case of most singular nouns, whether common or proper, is formed by adding - 's to the end. I got most of them correct before looking at the answers. Correct: I like those Christmas decorations. Affect and effect can be confusing. One of my pet peeves is the habitual use of loose for lose. Less and Fewer. Apostrophes look like single quotation marks, but theyre used alone rather than in pairs. I was glad to learn the rule about the proper nouns ending in s, like Jones. The mistakes I usually make come from typing too fast, and not catching when auto-correct tries to help me by replacing a word. The dogs bone means the bone of the dogthat is, just of one dog. Parents is another one. You might not encounter this much, but you could say Make sure to dot your ts and cross your is. (The apostrophe is mostly so that, for instance, Is doesnt read as just the word Is.). Tannenttenant But in other ways, it can work against pets when it comes to healthcare. *eye roll* My dad used to correct my siblings and me if we said something like this by saying, "Roger's mean?" I cringe when I see, Theres eight different ways to go. If you use predictive on text messaging, theres pops up and very easy to hit in front of a plural subject, Im guilty of this one. Just like the person a character is speaking to, the letter isn't there. Apostrophes have been misused for 100s of years. Dos and donts? Aint anything! **This shows that there is one dog. Testimonials herein are non-representative of all students; some students may have worse performance than that indicated. One can simply say these and leave off the ones and here with it. Parent's Day. Can they ever make something plural? 4. There are some misuses illustrated above which I've forgotten over the years; thanks for the refresher! (roll eyes) Another time I asked my brother if he wanted to go to a museum when I came to visit. Lets grab dinner at that new taco stand this weekend. Dogs already has an s at the end. Future: other expressions to talk about the future, Future: present continuous to talk about the future (, Future: present simple to talk about the future (, Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + -, Modality: other modal words and expressions, Conjunctions: causes, reasons, results and purpose, Relative clauses referring to a whole sentence, Relative clauses: defining and non-defining, Forming negative statements, questions and imperatives. And, of course, in the American South, you will probably encounter yall (you all). Correct: Jane always sees faces in the clouds. Ive just finished a book that often spoke of her parents house. Yes! I think I am guilty of using an apostrophe in numbers (i.e. Another pet peeve is the use of "I" in the wrong place when used along with other names. Apostrophes that fall at the beginning of a contraction are often mistyped as left-hand single quotation marks, when the apostrophe is actually identical to the right-hand single quotation mark. The writers desks Dogs is the singular possessive form. But it does look a bit more polished and make it that much clearer what youre saying. For cases like these, its best to check a comprehensive style guide, such as The Chicago Manual of Style or the The Associated Press Stylebook (its dos and donts, according to AP). I am guilty of not checking my sentences well enough and making common errors. Incorrect: Jane always sees faces in the clouds. I try not to look. (BONUS! That doesn't explain why "its" used to have an apostrophe and no longer does. Read about how they can each be used in this handy guide. It start to twitch when I see the misuse of your and youre; their, there, and theyre; and, lastly, its and its. Occasionally, they can show that a single letter or number is plural. probably cause the most apostrophe confusion. I know better now!! 6,857 8 28 47. This one is just really wrong. Commiserate with me as I discuss six ways to NOT use apostrophes. Oh, I could go on! Take me to the store! When using a word that is pluralized without an s, add an s to the end of the word and place the apostrophe in front of it. Opposite of an animal kept as a companion. I notice a lot of stuff, but I have learned not to care so much about someones grammar that I dont notice the value of what they have to say. This helps make the plural form clearer to the reader, which is why its written in this way. or I have 2 BA's, for some reason, BAs just doesn't look correct! The phrase "should'a went" gives me shudders and no punctuation or capitalization. "the dogs' lives"). My 2 cents. Now I KNOW this one is waaaay up there on the list of annoyances for grammar nerds. When the noun is plural and already ends in s,just add the apostrophe at the end. Ex: work together and pull her all the way through versus to pull her. I see this many times when working with possessive nouns that are used in the essays of my students. Unlike many other words, personal pronouns do not use apostrophes to form possessives. Almost always I see youre & your improperly used. Style guides vary in their recommendations of what to do to make a singular proper noun that ends in s possessive. stray. I'll admit, it's a losing battle. It makes my skin crawl when I see misspelled words. Its is a contraction of it is (or it has). As you can see, lets and lets are slightly different words even though they look similar and have the same pronunciation. Verbally, it sounds the same, but now I'm seeing " should of " instead of " should have " in writing and it drives me crazy! This one's not grammar so much as definition, but I have to include it! Personal pronouns, unlike regular nouns, do not use apostrophes to form possessives. As the singular possessive form, dogs shows one dog owning an object which comes after it. Your for youre arrgghh!! Leave a Comment or Question: Cancel reply, Please ensure that your question or comment relates to the topic of the blog post. For example, its common to reduce he will to hell. or something else????? For this rule, its really best to use your judgment! The testimonials and examples used are exceptional results from a wide range of Proofread Anywhere's students. What about the bone of the dogs? Now check your email to download the Kickstart Guide. Learn more about us here. #1 bring/take. Usage can get messy as well. Bothersome when people confuse your and you're. Thank you for your perfect timing! Check out our whole guide to how to pluralize a word that ends in s., While you dont normally add an apostrophe to make something plural, you can do this if youre referring, specifically, to letters. Grammarly helps with punctuating dates, avoiding comma splices, correctly using semicolons, and more. He/she should simply say, "Do you need these?" I have learned to forgive my oldest sister and to get past it with her; we text too often to let something like that bug me. One dog owns an object in this form. I'd absolutely LOVE to learn how to proofread. Basically add an 's to the end of the noun if the noun does no See the following examples: This is Mary and her dog. 2. #4 Who/whom. In today's discussion, we will answer that question. Guess it runs in the family! Hey Caitlin. Yes! The misuse of apostrophes drives me expletive-deleted crazy. And in case youre (you are) wondering, heres (here is) why will not becomes wont instead of willnt.(new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=38cf8a01-c7b4-4a61-a61b-8c0be6528f20&cid=877050e7-52c9-4c33-a20b-d8301a08f96d'; cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: "38cf8a01-c7b4-4a61-a61b-8c0be6528f20" }).render("6ea159e3e44940909b49c98e320201e2"); }); You dont just randomly decide when to use an apostrophe. There was an error submitting your subscription. lol. I am quite irritated when folks do not use lys. I do not like the use of the word aintI do not use it when I speak with people, and never in writing. a dogs owner). I watch a lot of yoga videos and it makes me scream when the instructor says, Ok, lay down on your mat. Why do so many, including very learned individuals, mispronounce et cetera and say instead, "ek cetera?" Using the word loose in place of lose makes me crazy!! Lets correct it before I really start to twitch. Our goal is to create English lessons that are easy to understand for everyone. 2. Sometimes they form contractions. It's as if no one knows the word eager anymore. Much better Or how about this one Theres never a time when this is appropriate, and such usage really should be a capital crime. I saw in an elementary school music room where I'm assuming the teacher wrote the lyrics to the song Your (sic) so fine. (Correct Possessive Explained), Countries or Countrys or Countries? Dictionary . Some sources assert that only lowercase letters need the apostrophe, and, indeed, that capital letters shouldnothave them, especially with formal or professional abbreviations. Is the apostrophe showing the noun owning anything? So take a few moments to make sure youve got a handle on apostrophes. Your welcome. Grrr Thanks for the clarifications. There are times when spell check will tell me I misspelled something, when really I was just using the British version instead of the American version. That drives me bats!! I cringed every time I saw it. However, the sign said the following: "Tell us how the weather is in our neck of the wood's." Yes, I know: PEOPLE! Go ahead and laugh, he still does. Our village has a professionally printed sign at the park that reads, Park closes at dusk. Ugh. They definitely make me cringe. (Possessive Explained), Heroes or Heros or Heroes? For instance, they type your welcome instead of youre welcome. I think Liberty should move the adverb closer to the phrase it modifies: Pay for only what you need,. In many ways it can have a positive effect for those pets who need veterinary care. Is the item not actually free or on sale? We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Get writing feedback tailored to your language background. After the show [lets / lets] see if we can meet the performers. And how about splitting the infinitive to use in the huge headline beginning the post?. Remember, its is short for it is. ), but that is one of the few things that I just HAVE to speak up about. However, there are a number of exceptions to this rule. YES. (Bob owns one bait shop, and Jim owns a different one. That's not a typo, it's a "mindo" and it couldn't have left a good impression on the customer who received it. . Seems to be becoming more and more common. Gee, how come it doesnt say Notify myself of follow-up comments. ?? NOPE. They do not apply to all students (or "customers") and shall not represent or guarantee that everyone will achieve the same or similar results. Robust, real-time communication assistance, Write, rewrite, get ideas, and quickly reply with GrammarlyGO, Features to polish, grammar, tone, clarity, team consistency, and more, Writing assistance on 500,000+ apps and sites across your devices, For desktop apps and websites like Word and Gmail, For sites like Google Docs, Gmail, and LinkedIn, Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes, Format citations in APA, MLA, and Chicago, Do not sell or share my personal information. So if youre talking about age, the man is in his 30snot his 30s. If youre writing something very formal, you may want to avoid using them except in cases like. So you would write The walruss tusks were huge and The buss wheels went round and round. But sometimes you dont say the s; for instance, you could write Wegmans parking lot was full since you probably wouldnt say Wegmanses out loud. ("Holiday wishes" occupies the subject position of the sentence). Uh-oh. Yall is a contraction for ya all. I just told my daughter yesterday how I cannot believe someone doesn't proofread articles on internet before they're actually put on internet. Contractions are usually considered to be relatively casual. So let's fix it! My pet peeve is incorrect comma use, but I sure do see what you mean about apostrophes. My pet peeve is when someone says "these ones" or "these here" because there's no need for it. Once it fly's out, you cannot catch it. And dont confuse whos (short for who is) with whose (meaning of whom). Now that you know when to use an apostrophe, make your high school English teachers proud by also watching out for these common grammar mistakes. Especially when you get into the way effect can also be a verb! *sigh*. If youd like more grammar tips, simply browse our wide range of topics. Loved reading this!! Or, "These holiday wishes are being sent to you by the Joneses" would be the passive voice in the present continuous aspect. Check punctuation, grammar, and more in our free punctuation checker. Ive gotten into arguments with college-educated (?) You can use those grammar skillz to start your own freelance proofreading hustle! Anthropomorphism by definition is an attribution of human traits, and emotions to animals. !!! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Sign up to receive the FREE weekly GrammarBook.com E-Newsletter. I can not stand that! ), but it can be met with the reaction of a rabid mob looking to tear you apart. I have seen so many times where people will say "The dress is to large" instead. Noun. Dos and donts? It's an immediate turn-off. Correct: The Texas sunrise is a sight to behold. Im so glad you enjoyed it, Bethany!! JhonJohn, I literally cringed at all of these incorrect examples! Present perfect simple or present perfect continuous? One grammar mistake that drives editors crazy is the use of an apostrophe to pluralize a word, as in, I bought my mom some slippers for her birthday. If the subject of the sentence is already plural, however, add the apostrophe after the s. Like the earlier example: The dogs leashes. The s makes the word plural; the apostrophe makes it possessive. In the second example, take note of the apostrophe at the beginning of twas. "Literally has a meaning and that's not It! Note that none of these forms use an apostrophe. (See below for more on its vs its.). Opposite of a fit of sulking or ill humor. The most common contractions are made up of verbs, auxiliaries, or modals attached to other words: He would = Hed. I have = Ive. They are = Theyre. You cannot = You cant.. On its last legs (Describing the condition of objects, Part 1), Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2023. My mom lets me walk to the store alone. Such abject ignorance. We sometimes connect two words to make one shorter word. (Correct) The only exception is for words that are the same in singular and plural forms, . I'd like to receive the free email course. Sometimes, its called the grocers apostrophe because of how frequently it is spotted in grocery store advertisements (3 oranges for $1!). | The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation. (the walk from my house to my office takes just ten minutes). My child is done brushing her teeth. I was taught that done was related to cooking , specifically baking. Ok, I am thrilled to have an opportunity to vent this pet peeve!! Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. Using them well can make your writing a lot clearer, and using them poorly is a really bad look. . A contraction is a shortened form of a word or group of words that omits certain letters or sounds. Young attorneys I used to work with would dictate letters and say, "give myself a call" and I changed it every time! Very helpful! Instead, these pronouns have different spellings. Quotation Marks. But they are quite important. When you are doing apostrophes in possessive nouns you will get word like somebody's, someone's, orchards'. Where is the tallest General Electric Building located? Your email address will not be published. This was DELIGHTFUL Caitlin! The same rule for decades applies here. It just feels so very, very wrong. answered Apr 25, 2011 at 18:13. For example Anna's book or the school's logo. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Apostrophe disasters are the worst. Tomato's and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French; garlic makes it good. The nurse already talked to her and I. Ugh. For example, the bone of the dog is the dogs bone. Success! "You're" and "your" are used improperly by some writers. My biggest pet peeves are people who mix up youre and your or there theyre and their. That drives me crazy. They arent supposed to be used for emphasis! Example, cannot (can't) and she will (she'll). I keep correction people on Facebook, emails, etc. Excellent points. I believe it is a nominalization instead, an active verb, to wish well, turned into a noun, well wishes. The relative possessive pronoun whose is also frequently the victim of apostrophe abuse. Oh, thats a good point now that you mention it. An apostrophe shows possession. Oh wow, that's brilliant! Do you mean quotation marks? Correct: My brother always finds fun things to do. Or if someone asks, "Do you need these ones?" I added too many as to the Happy Birthday sign. . In a contraction, an apostrophe represents missing letters. Multiple dogs own similar objects or groups in this form. Ill take the challenge! What if its the dog of James? That has always been one of my issues as well and it's common. Yarg! Do we need to include an apostrophe or not? We'll also give you an explanation you can remember at the same time you enhance your grammar. Im not sure why that one bothers me so much but it literally makes me angry when I see it! Major cringe!! Incorrect:Apostrophes always confuse me. Firstly, you look silly if you cant do something as simple as this. the sax's mouth-piece. For example: "Men's feet are generally larger than women . Think about every situation in a positive way. This is my all time pet peeve. O dear! Hi Caitlin, And what about skillz at the end of the Pet Peeves article above? word's "s". I actually need a refresher on that one! Of course it's recorded for all of eternity in the yearbook and, most importantly, my mind! WHHYYY!? Today Im going to my parents house. Most of the time, the person means both parents, but the apostrophe tells another story! The most common contractions are made up of, attached to other words: He would = Hed. I have = Ive. They are = Theyre. You cannot = You cant.. Even auto-correct is trying to fix that one. These are all cringeworthy! Im so guilty of misusing apostrophes when it comes to plural proper names, numbers, and abbreviations. Surely, they will want to eat something else. An apostrophe shows possession. Later, printers started using them for possessives. Its like maam instead of maam.. the dogs owners). An exception to the rule: plural words that don't end "s", Another exception to the rule: singular words that end "s", Read more on apostrophes used in time expressions, Read more on apostrophes replacing letters. Thank you for the information. My pet peeve? What happens when two nouns possess the same thing? But its, like all contractions, does have an apostrophe. . . They might write, to represent the way people often dont pronounce the final, ) in poetry. My pet peeve is with the word youre & your.. #3 Pronoun usage. Do NOT add an apostrophe when you write The cat licked its paws. 2023 LoveToKnow Media. Do you agree? . The used to day 50 percent less calories they re-dubbed to say 50 percent fewer calories. I did a happy grammar nerd dance! Copyright by Jane Straus/GrammarBook.com. YikesI should have known better. Here are the rules of thumb: For most singular nouns, add -'s: The dog's leash The writer's desk The planet's atmosphere For most plural nouns, add only an apostrophe: The dogs' leashes The writers' desks The planets' atmospheres For plural nouns that do not end in s, add -'s: The children's toys The geese's migration route Heres a tip: Want to make sure your writing shines? time. Italics? There are a few set phrases and holidays, however, that also use apostrophes. The answer is simple: just place the apostrophe after the s: the dogs bone. Yes! Another one is when people spell the word, separate as seperate. Let's pray for peace. "I didn't know who was who". (The apostrophe here replaces the 19.). Grammarly leaders share our vision for the AI-connected workplace. Mine is the use of "loose" instead of "lose." He is TWO classes down now with As in both semesters. I find myself constantly correctly others on this something that is likely my husbands pet peeve about me. example In this case, find is and see is make zero sense in those sentences, so get those apostrophes outta there! Actually, it should be written as PLCs because the PLC doesn't own anything in the sentence. The one that drives me crazy is the indiscriminate and improper use of ellipses. Ugh! When in doubt, take em out!, May I suggest as an alternative: . Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Editors and style guides alike may differ concerning the usage of lets and lets. 2. , Apostrophe misuse #6 is something I read and correct all time from my students' papers. The thing that really gets me riled up is misuse of then and than. I was so embarrassed for them because they were on national television. (Arguably not a word unless you live in Texas). However, I am not 100% sure. Elissa: That tendency to use the British version to spell some words and then effectively arguing with the spellcheck function is something I also deal with on a regular basis. This is definitely my biggest pet peeve. Its used when someone else allows something. The rules are so simple that it really shouldnt be a problem. Yes, subjective and objective pronouns used incorrectly is my pet peeve, too. For example, Americans celebrate Mothers Day, April Fools Day, and Veterans Dayall with different apostrophe uses. These words are either contractions or shortened versions of other words. Drives me crazy! Dad went with my sister and I to the park. !!!!!!!! Are we being advised to only PAY FOR what we need, rather than ask, beg, barter, settle, or go into debt for what we need? Another main function of apostrophes is to replace missing letters in a word. Al Roker always says, "and now the weather in your neck of the woods." DUUUUUDE. There, their, and they're!! I cannot understand starting a sentence with an objective pronoun! When people say I seen it or I done it. That is truly my pet peeve. . . It just pains me to see, I cant breath!, Another pet peeve is knifes. Learn the rules so you can easily master this tricky punctuation mark. You just have to remember that they dont have an apostrophe! My biggest grammar pet peeve is the whole me, myself and I problem. Like New York Times' newspaper articles. Watch out when using apostrophes with singular or plural last names! (a conference for teachers), Possession (Johns car, a friend of mine). So a simple way to determine whether or not its requires an apostrophe is to see it if makes sense as it is. Youve got a babyare you prepared for the Terrible. There are some important exceptions to watch out for. My pet peeve is people who mix up the use of "a part" and "apart"! I know they're composed on the fly, but when someone suffers from a "myserious" ailment I'm sorry, I chuckle. Ive lamented about apostrophes before, but for some reason, Ive noticed quite an uptick in their misuse lately. I like pigs. My favorite apostrophe test is: Those old things over there are my husbands. It drives me nuts! Yes! Your results will be based on numerous variables, such as your level of effort, experience, personal qualities, and ability to master the skills taught in Proofread Anywhere's training programs. The last line read, "The Untied States of America". (Far too common in small town USA.) LOL. That was going to be my post! Another example is it. If you want to indicate possession, use its, notits, which means it is. Its is also incorrect. As we saw above, its is a possessive pronoun, and traditionally doesnt have an apostrophejust like hers, theirs and so on. Oh mi gaw! Lisa D. Nice one. I love this post. Being the Class of 2000, I had "Class of the Millennium" as part of the design. The plural form is not a possessive form. Incorrect: I love how shiny its coat is. Just remember that the apostrophe never appears in the possessive forms of pronouns. When you have more than one dog, you have dogs. I twitch when they say it. )! Since I married I have been irked by not being able to say "The Davis" as it is another name entirely, and I believe would be seen incorrectly. Franciss cookies were the best dessert at the party. You may also see apostrophes when a writer is describing plural lowercase letters or numbers. Grammarlys punctuation suggestions allow you to write your best wherever you love to write. Growing up in the south, I heard all kinds of weird things that I adopted and didnt even realize it!! 4. I hate to hear someone say Its Jack and Is turn to do the dishes. or Marty and Is new car is bright blue. I frequently hear young adults misuse the word I this way and it drives me crazy! NOPE. Do they have to give members warning before they bar you? Yes!!! That makes NO sense whatsoever. Also then and than, toward vs towards, breaths, breath vs breathes, breathe, sell vs sale, and so many more!!! (Yeah, I know there's a comma is missing, but it's as quoted.). I am guessing society is letting grammar go the way of the dinosaur because of technology they think computers/artificial intelligence are good enough, I guess. Yes!! You should include the s ending to show that a dog owns an item (i.e. Here is a list of names of holidays with plural forms ending in s, where the apostrophe appears after the s. Holidays with apostrophe after s. Presidents' Day ( also Presidents Day) All Hallows' Eve. You move it back and forth. belongs to someone or something the final g a! Literally cringed at all of eternity in the sentence still makes sense as it is always clear that its emphasis! + s to show that a single letter or number is plural also be a verb brother always finds things. Never appears in the South, you can ask a question or comment to! 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Cant breath!, another pet peeve is people who mix up youre and your or there and! They can each be used in this world of spell check now you think it gives away persons. Texas sunrise is a group of dogs a bit more polished and it... Declamation about loose for lose. to look up the use of `` said/says `` specifically! Those pets who need veterinary care pretty sure I am responsible for the refresher heard all kinds of weird that...