Grammar

C

Camper6

Well-known Member
Location
Northwestern Ontario Canada
Your opinion please on a trivia question. Out of four choices this one was declared correct.

in today's trivia.

The correct answer out of a choice of four was given as.

My dog's stronger than your dog..

I don't agree with that. Am I wrong. I was taught that the apostrophe identified possession. So dog's is owning stronger?

Or is the apostrophe signalling dog is.

Stronger is an adjective, not a noun.

I think the only proper way to write that is.

My dog is stronger than your dog.

My dog's fur is stronger than your dogs fur.

I could be wrong because it's a long time since grammar in grade six or seven. I always thought the apostrophe meant possessive when followed by a noun.
 

Last edited:
To start with, you misspelled grammar in the thread title.

An apostrophe can signal ownership as in "my dog's fur is stronger..." or stand in for missing letters for contractions "my dog's stronger than..."

It's common for people to use the "dog's stronger" type contraction when speaking, less so when writing, though technically it would be correct.

The incorrect use of apostrophes in the word "its" and "it's" sometimes drives me crazy. Don't get me started on incorrectly personalized gifts. People with the last name Smith who are given gifts that say "The Smith's", for instance. Or "The Smiths Home", or "The Smith's Home". Ugh...

When I get incorrectly personalized gifts, I of course thank the giver, then hide the items from sight, eventually trashing them without using them. It matters little how expensive or beautiful they are because the irritation factor steals the joy from the item.

My husband (who doesn't much know or care about apostrophe use and therefore checks with me when spelling and grammar are important) once asked me what I would do if someone tattooed my arm with an improperly spelled word - and it couldn't be fixed. I told him, "amputation." Our daughter, who is a lot like me in this regard, nodded and said, "Oh, for sure. Gotta get rid of that arm."
 
StarSong said:
To start with, you misspelled grammar in the thread title.

An apostrophe can signal ownership as in "my dog's fur is stronger..." or stand in for missing letters for contractions "my dog's stronger than..."

It's common for people to use the "dog's stronger" type contraction when speaking, less so when writing, though technically it would be correct.

The incorrect use of apostrophes in the word "its" and "it's" sometimes drives me crazy. Don't get me started on incorrectly personalized gifts. People with the last name Smith who are given gifts that say "The Smith's", for instance. Or "The Smiths Home", or "The Smith's Home". Ugh...

When I get incorrectly personalized gifts, I of course thank the giver, then hide the items from sight, eventually trashing them without using them. It matters little how expensive or beautiful they are because the irritation factor steals the joy from the item.

My husband (who doesn't much know or care about apostrophe use and therefore checks with me when spelling and grammar are important) once asked me what I would do if someone tattooed my arm with an improperly spelled word - and it couldn't be fixed. I told him, "amputation." Our daughter, who is a lot like me in this regard, nodded and said, "Oh, for sure. Gotta get rid of that arm."
Click to expand...

Well thanks. Sorry about the spelling error and I'm a stickler on spelling.

So really what are we saving in strokes typed if we say [dog's] meaning [dog is] or just typing the entire words instead of a contraction?

"If ignorance is bliss, tis folly to be wise".
 

Camper6 said:
Well thanks. Sorry about the spelling error and I'm a stickler on spelling.

So really what are we saving in strokes typed if we say [dog's] meaning [dog is] or just typing the entire words instead of a contraction?

"If ignorance is bliss, tis folly to be wise".
Click to expand...

Nothing would be gained in terms of keystrokes. It's really a matter of whether the writer prefers a sentence to be reflective of common English spoken shorthands rather than the often more stilted written language.
 
StarSong said:
Nothing would be gained in terms of keystrokes. It's really a matter of whether the writer prefers a sentence to be reflective of common English spoken shorthands rather than the often more stilted written language.
Click to expand...

You must be a school teacher or a writer.

The language changed as time goes on. This is another one of those ancient holdovers when it comes to contractions.

I don't agree on keystrokes being saved.

If you write It's or it is is the same amount of keystrokes.

Even the bible says . It is written and not It's written.
 
I'm actually neither, Camper. Just someone who loves words and the written language.

I agreed with you that neither version is a time or key stroke saver, though technically it's contains four strokes while it(space)is has five. I truly think that the choice of full words or contractions comes down to style and clarity.
 
StarSong said:
I'm actually neither, Camper. Just someone who loves words and the written language.

I agreed with you that neither version is a time or key stroke saver, though technically it's contains four strokes while it(space)is has five. I truly think that the choice of full words or contractions comes down to style and clarity.
Click to expand...

Now that I recall the apostrophe always showed posession with it's the exception.

A dog's breakfast. Maybe where we were taught. I was schooled in Canada. British English.
 
The one that irritates me the most is people putting an apostrophe on plurals that make the word look like a possessive.
Example: " We're having sale on cantaloupe's."
 
treeguy64 said:
Much ado about nothing! (FWIW: You can edit the spelling error in your subject/title line, unless you did that as a joke.)
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I edited the spelling. Didn't know you could edit the title.

Anyway it's not much ado about nothing. Those of us who are fussy about grammar and spelling are always watching and learning. Those that don't care. Well when they write a letter or other things they look uneducated if they make spelling and grammar errors.
 
StarSong said:
I'm actually neither, Camper. Just someone who loves words and the written language.

I agreed with you that neither version is a time or key stroke saver, though technically it's contains four strokes while it(space)is has five. I truly think that the choice of full words or contractions comes down to style and clarity.
Click to expand...

But when you are writing by hand you don't notice the space. It comes automatically and that's how literature was born, oh ye of little faith.
 
Personally, I think as long as the meaning is clear, what does it matter? And the meaning of "my dog's stronger" seems pretty clear to me, "dog's" being a contraction for "dog is." These days, I'm happy if they don't write, "my dawg's stronger." LOL!
 
Slightly off topic But today I learned a new word....and I like it. Couple of people here used it. Maybe I'll start
using it. The (my) new word is "wonky". Cute! Have you seen it?
 
Falcon said:
Slightly off topic But today I learned a new word....and I like it. Couple of people here used it. Maybe I'll start
using it. The (my) new word is "wonky". Cute! Have you seen it?
Click to expand...

Wonky is a great word! Catawampus is another favorite of mine that's similar.
 
Even the bible says . It is written and not It's written.
Click to expand...

But the Bible didn't say either. It said it in Hebrew, which doesn't have contractions (I think). So they couldn't use them even if they wanted to.

Reminds me of an old episode of All in the Family, where Archie Bunker is complaining (as usual) about a group singing Christmas carols in Spanish. He says, "If English was good enough for Jesus, why isn't it good enough
for them?"
 
Sunny said:
But the Bible didn't say either. It said it in Hebrew, which doesn't have contractions (I think). So they couldn't use them even if they wanted to.

Reminds me of an old episode of All in the Family, where Archie Bunker is complaining (as usual) about a group singing Christmas carols in Spanish. He says, "If English was good enough for Jesus, why isn't it good enough
for them?"
Click to expand...

I often wonder where Archie was educated.

Between Canada and the U.S. the English language written can be quite different as far as spelling goes.
For instance Favor and Favour. Color and Colour.
Night and Nite.
Also some expressions.
"_Good on you" and "Good for you"
And the use of ize compared to ise. Zee and Zed.
 
Wonky is a great way to describe something that is not working properly.
Having worked in Primary Schools I spent a lot of time teaching grammar and mistakes jump out at me.I can't help that but I know I have got sloppy since finishing.
The important thing to me is that people understand the point you are trying to make.
 
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StarSong said:
To start with, you misspelled grammar in the thread title.

An apostrophe can signal ownership as in "my dog's fur is stronger..." or stand in for missing letters for contractions "my dog's stronger than..."

It's common for people to use the "dog's stronger" type contraction when speaking, less so when writing, though technically it would be correct.

The incorrect use of apostrophes in the word "its" and "it's" sometimes drives me crazy. Don't get me started on incorrectly personalized gifts. People with the last name Smith who are given gifts that say "The Smith's", for instance. Or "The Smiths Home", or "The Smith's Home". Ugh...

When I get incorrectly personalized gifts, I of course thank the giver, then hide the items from sight, eventually trashing them without using them. It matters little how expensive or beautiful they are because the irritation factor steals the joy from the item.

My husband (who doesn't much know or care about apostrophe use and therefore checks with me when spelling and grammar are important) once asked me what I would do if someone tattooed my arm with an improperly spelled word - and it couldn't be fixed. I told him, "amputation." Our daughter, who is a lot like me in this regard, nodded and said, "Oh, for sure. Gotta get rid of that arm."
Click to expand...

I'm another apostrophe freak. For some reason, the misuse of apostrophes annoys me worse than any other grammar error I can think of. There used to be a big fat sign at one of our local watering holes that advertised half price drinks on "ladie's night." Every time I'd pass that place I'd feel like stomping in there with an English grammar textbook.
 
Butterfly said:
I'm another apostrophe freak. For some reason, the misuse of apostrophes annoys me worse than any other grammar error I can think of. There used to be a big fat sign at one of our local watering holes that advertised half price drinks on "ladie's night." Every time I'd pass that place I'd feel like stomping in there with an English grammar textbook.
Click to expand...

So would you be happy if they put the apostrophe after the s? :)
 
Camper6 said:
So would you be happy if they put the apostrophe after the s? :)
Click to expand...

YES, because "ladie" is not even a word; "lady" is singular and "ladies" is plural. So if it is special pricing night for all people of the female persuasion, it should properly be "ladies' night."

It just seems to me that people should make the effort, if they are going to put up a big outdoor sign, to get the grammar correct.
 

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