DO NOT pluralize things using apostrophes. That is NOT the purpose for which they are intended. You do not have bean's for sale; you have beans for sale.
Please, for the sake of the English language, cut it out!
(And now will follow five-ish posts explaining how language is living and mutable, and calling me an unconscionable grammar nazi. I know. I'm just really, really, really thrown off by pluralization created with apostrophes. Don't mind me. It's been a rough week.)
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
I completely agree with you.
How about innappropriate use of parentheses?
Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :
Don't capitalize words because you think they're important. That's not what capitalization is for.
Posted by camus (Member # 8052) on :
Why pick on beans? It's not the beans' fault that they're for sale.
Posted by JuniperDreams (Member # 3471) on :
YES! i completly agree with what all of yous' have to say. grammer is so BAD and kids do'nt no a dam thing this day's.
Posted by kojabu (Member # 8042) on :
Ahh that made my brain hurt
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
quote:Don't capitalize words because you think they're important. That's not what capitalization is for.
Amen. The programmers do it all the time.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
quote:Don't capitalize words because you think they're important. That's not what capitalization is for.
I disagree, to an extent. In formal writing, you are correct.
But in informal writing like this, creative capitalization and punctuation can be used to convey things that are easy to convey when speaking to somebody face to face, but impossible with formal writing.
Posted by Brian J. Hill (Member # 5346) on :
Oh, and for Pete's sake, when you have a sign announcing "No Smoking" for instance, you DO NOT NEED to put it in quotation marks. One time I saw a sign that read "The Management "Thanks" you for your business." AAARGH!
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Using allcaps (and, to a lesser extent, bolding) for emphasis bothers me.
Posted by jexx (Member # 3450) on :
*whispers*
I enjoy capitalizing Things That Are Important.
*/whispers*
What's the general feeling on off-setting Important Words (or actions) with asterisks?
And I agree that formal writing is different from informal communication. Just sayin'.
*grin*
Posted by jexx (Member # 3450) on :
Ooh! Ooh! I hate the quotation mark thing! Yesterday I was watching a T.V. program and the chiron (title-thingie on the bottom) identified a dog as "Molly". Is that her assumed name?
Arglebargle.
And all caps just hurts my eyes. The Army loves to do internal memos in all caps (I think it's actually a form requirement). How am I supposed to learn the most recent parking regulations if I can't read the form????
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
Twinky -- in your opinion, what should bolding be used for?
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
On an internet forum? Not a whole heck of a lot. I'd use bold to emphasize a single character with in a word, for instance.
Added: Using them to emhpasize user names (which is done here and pretty much everywhere) is fine; it makes them clearer.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
I only CAPITALIZE because I'm too lazy to type in the italics tags when using quick reply.
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
In publishing, italicization is the preferred method of setting off text for emphasis. Bolding should be avoided where possible because it draws too much attention to itself. I think the same thing holds true for the internet.
quote:What's the general feeling on off-setting Important Words (or actions) with asterisks?
Ugh. No.
I've generally found that good writing can convey the importance of something without resorting to scare tactics.
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
quote:How about innappropriate use of parentheses?
Ok, I'll line up to be spanked for that one. Parentheses and ellipsis misuse are my punctuation vices; I admit that. That's only because they don't drive me insane the way pluralization with apostrophes does, though.
quote:I only CAPITALIZE because I'm too lazy to type in the italics tags when using quick reply.
I do the same thing.
Edited to add: Obviously.
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
What's the UBB tag for capitalizing a word? . . . . . . . j/k
Posted by Taalcon (Member # 839) on :
While I will only CAPS ONLY a word for emphasis in rapidfire AIM communication, using Capital Letters For Emphasis in the way just utilized is something that has become part of my writing style.
Actually, I think I may have stolen this from OSC...
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
The quotation mark thing is one of my pet peeves. One summer when I taught drama classes for a city Parks & Recreation Department the person who put together the publicity brochure had this particular problem. I don't remember all the things she put in quotes, but I do remember the headline advertising that drama is “fun.”
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
I love unnecessary quotation marks in ads or on signs. You see them a lot on plumber or HVAC vans.
quote:"We provide world-class plumbing."
I always imagine the plumber saying it while making finger quotes in the air. It always makes me chuckle.
Posted by Miriam (Member # 8351) on :
quote:Originally posted by jexx: Ooh! Ooh! I hate the quotation mark thing! Yesterday I was watching a T.V. program and the chiron (title-thingie on the bottom) identified a dog as "Molly". Is that her assumed name?
A registered purebred dog usually has two names. These are their registered name and a nickname. It is not common to refer to a dog by it's registered name. By the time I got my dog's name out he could be hit by a car.
My dog's full registered name is Serandida Sa Nesu Tesher Ra. We just call him Tesher.
Anyway I'm rambling. I would assume that "Molly" is the dog's nickname. Her registered name could be something completely unrelated to her used name.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
While we're on the subject:
It's and its mean two totally different things.
There, their, and they're also mean totally different things.
/ I way overuse parentheses when I write in forums like this (mainly for asides).
While we're on the subject, don't tuck your shirt in if you're not wearing a belt.
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
Who says that counts as overuse of parentheses?
Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :
--Enigmatic
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
I sometimes have asides to my asides and end up with nested paretheses, which even I have a hard time deciphering. I don't think even that is overuse, but I understand people who dislike that.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)