Grammar Fun
While I'm on a serious note today, I wanted to mention that both Greg and I recently read a pretty interesting book, "Eats, Shoots and Leaves". It's all about the punctuation part of grammar written by a woman after my own heart. I'm not a real stickler with other people's grammar (nor really with my own all the time), but I do usually note these things and typically I have some grammar-based bee in my bonnet. The author also dislikes "10 items or less" aisles just like I do!
My grammar knowledge isn't always used but is pretty good, I learned. I also learned that in the few places that American and British grammar differ, I'm typically using the British version. :) For example, there's a rule that used to be used in both countries but has recently fallen out of favor here, but I still use myself. One is "supposed" to use an apostrophe when pluralizing letters, numbers, abbreviations and words when you mean the actual written word not its meaning. An example that is correct in Britain (and used to be taught that way here until recently): "I have three 2's, six A's, 5 CD's, and four dog's written out on my paper." Note that abbreviations that are no longer thought of as abbreviations eventually also lose the apostrophe when pluralized; they also lose the periods and capitalization as time passes, so CD's will eventually become cds even in Britain.
Likewise, another rule which is also falling out of favor especially here in America is where to use an apostrophe in a possessive plural noun. The rule as it was (and I was taught this way not that long ago): When a noun (proper or otherwise) is plural AND ends in a pronounced s, then there is no s after the apostrophe. Else, there is an ending s regardless of whether the noun is singular, plural, or ends in an s. Note there is an exception for ancient and biblical names (I have no idea why). Typically if you write it out as you would pronounce it, you will be correct.
Examples: a giant kid's playground (this is when you have 1 giant kid)
a giant kids' playground (here you have many kids, possibly all giant)
St. Thomas's hospital
the glass's rim
It's a fun read if anyone wants to borrow. :)
My grammar knowledge isn't always used but is pretty good, I learned. I also learned that in the few places that American and British grammar differ, I'm typically using the British version. :) For example, there's a rule that used to be used in both countries but has recently fallen out of favor here, but I still use myself. One is "supposed" to use an apostrophe when pluralizing letters, numbers, abbreviations and words when you mean the actual written word not its meaning. An example that is correct in Britain (and used to be taught that way here until recently): "I have three 2's, six A's, 5 CD's, and four dog's written out on my paper." Note that abbreviations that are no longer thought of as abbreviations eventually also lose the apostrophe when pluralized; they also lose the periods and capitalization as time passes, so CD's will eventually become cds even in Britain.
Likewise, another rule which is also falling out of favor especially here in America is where to use an apostrophe in a possessive plural noun. The rule as it was (and I was taught this way not that long ago): When a noun (proper or otherwise) is plural AND ends in a pronounced s, then there is no s after the apostrophe. Else, there is an ending s regardless of whether the noun is singular, plural, or ends in an s. Note there is an exception for ancient and biblical names (I have no idea why). Typically if you write it out as you would pronounce it, you will be correct.
Examples: a giant kid's playground (this is when you have 1 giant kid)
a giant kids' playground (here you have many kids, possibly all giant)
St. Thomas's hospital
the glass's rim
It's a fun read if anyone wants to borrow. :)