Monday, October 31, 2011

Head Exploding

This crap drives my inner grammar geek NUTS! Good Morning America, you should be ashamed! (And your chyron operator should be shot!)




8 comments:

Anonymous said...

No, the operator should be forced to practice proper use of apostrophes 100 times, like we had to do in school. Then stand on a busy street corner for eight hours wearing a sign that says "I'm Illiterate".

Linda@VS said...

Hm. You're gonna make me go Google this rule, aren't you? I was taught to add an apostrophe s after a singular noun that ends in s, which would make "Maks's meltdown" correct. The second part of what I was taught was that the apostrophe alone should be added after a PLURAL possessive noun--"the Joneses' dog," for example. Another example: "the boss's wife" or "our two bosses' wives." Gotta go look it up now.

CreekHiker / HollysFolly said...

Velvet, I know with some French proper names it's ok but I was always taught if it adds a redundant "es" syllable... leave it out!

Here's what I found:

"If pronunciation would be awkward with the added -’s, some writers use only the apostrophe. Either use is acceptable." (Diana Hacker, A Writer’s Reference)
"Exceptions are the possessives of ancient proper names in -es and -is [such as Achilles' and Isis'], the possessive Jesus’, and such forms as for conscience’ sake, for righteousness’ sake." (Strunk and White, The Elements of Style)
"With some singular nouns that end in -s, pronouncing the possessive ending as a separate syllable can sound awkward; in such cases, it is acceptable to use just an apostrophe." (Kirszner & Mandell, The Brief Holt Handbook)
"Since writers vary in the use of the apostrophe, it is not possible to make a hard and fast rule about the apostrophe in singular words ending in s.… Punctuate according to pronunciation." (John E. Warriner, English Grammar and Composition)

CreekHiker / HollysFolly said...

Janet, I like your idea better!

Linda@VS said...

Holly, I found that exact text but in the context that the examples you quoted are acceptable exceptions to the rule. Whatever. I won't let a little thing like an apostrophe come between us. :)

Snowbrush said...

Try it my way--sleep until 11:00, but if you do get up, just listen to music.

rottrover said...

Holly'Linda

Linda@VS said...

Hahaha! Rottrover, now look what you've done!