Established Brigg business Isn’t She Lovely has taken over this not-long-empty shop in Wrawby Street, close to the Black Bull pub. Below - seeing double: A view of the Market Place, looking towards the County Bridge.
Apostrophe - used to indicate a missing letter in a compounded word.
Or to show possession, or ownership - ie Nigel's blog. When the owner, such as James, ends in 's' - it becomes, James's......but not all the time!!
There are biblical exceptions - important saintly character names in the Bible ie Jesus, St James are exempt the extra s......and, for instance, are written - Jesus' friends - or St James' Church.....
Punctuation is going out of fashion, Ken, due to texting, websites and social media.
When you went into Grimsby - by train - there used to be a building with a sign perfectly punctuated....
Plumbers' & Builders' Merchants
Sadly, the very useful semi-colon is now all but redundant. However, the colon has come back into use on many news websites for headlines. Example...
Revealed: Ken Harrison's thoughts on punctuation
All hail the great Mr Mike Walker, English teacher at Brigg Grammar School in the 1960s and 1970s. He insisted on perfect punctuation.
I must admit to sometimes splitting an infinitive but never dangle a participle.
"Which" has given way to "that" - even when the former is correct.
There was a fascinating programme on Radio 4 recently about the present perfect tense. The expert speaker called it "football perfect". As in... "He's gone down the wing and put over a good cross". Do footballers and managers go on a special course to learn it?
One important aspect of the English language is that it's dynamic - it changes and adapts to change. If it didn't, it would die and we would start to use another language that is actively alive. For example, the meaning of certain words change over time; words both enter and leave and we employ a different style of the English language according to the occasion, circumstances, or audience. A wedding speech is different from a shopping list, while DIY self-assembly instructions remain completely confusing! I don't fully accept that texting is a significant cause for poor spelling punctuation and the lack of grammar. Texting is a new form of English, reflecting the dynamics of the language. It is an abbreviated form that has the positively practical aspect of being economic on the otherwise required time-consuming dexterity skills. If one blames such aspects as texting for the promotion of poor grammatical and punctuation, we must also examine other forms of abbreviated language that we have used on an everyday basis. Texting may be a new form of shortened, time-saving language, but it is not unique. For instance, we use defined symbols in such subjects as mathematics. +, -, =, for example, are only instances of abbreviated language. Similarly, in chemistry we have H2SO4, Ag....and in electrical circuits, the use of symbols represents the different components and functions. However, there does seem to be some psychological and/or attitudinal elements that affect some folks in understanding such subjects as maths. Perhaps, folks do not understand the meaning of the symbols; to them it may appear to be some sort of mysterious cryptic code, but in reality, it is no difference to the abbreviations used in texting. If someone is able to use and understand the language of texting then they have proven that they have transferable skills which can be used in other subjects. However, texting has inherent rewards; a text is often rewarded with a response from the recipient. In maths and similar subjects, the study is often undertaken in private and any reward, or feedback is delayed, or deferred. Overall, whether it's texting, maths, electronics, the symbols used are capable of being extracted into everyday English. It is perhaps the lack of sufficient explanation of what the symbols and abbreviations mean, such as BODMAS and not the actual mechanics of a subject that hold folks back. Similarly, there are rules in language - evolved over time - which have refined the ease of use and meanings within the English language. Are we within a dynamic phase where certain punctuation marks are generally being ignored as they are considered unimportant. For example, do we really need a Question Mark at the end of a question? What really is the purpose of a Question Mark when question is obviously recognised as a question? Is it convention and practice that promotes the Question Mark, or is it just used to duplicate that the question is a question? Where do we stand with Commas(?) Is there a difference between: 'LET US EAT, MUM.' and 'LET US EAT MUM.' ? ....and apostrophes - will such abbreviated compond words, such as, ISN'T become ISNT, a stand-alone word? But is it the same with, 'THE BOYS GLOVES', when the appropriate use of an apostrophe can distinguish between one boy's ownership of gloves and a group of boys' gloves?
Where's the apostrophe?
ReplyDeleteIt Isnt there !
Apostrophe - used to indicate a missing letter in a compounded word.
Or to show possession, or ownership - ie Nigel's blog.
When the owner, such as James, ends in 's' - it becomes, James's......but not all the time!!
There are biblical exceptions - important saintly character names in the Bible ie Jesus, St James are exempt the extra s......and, for instance, are written -
Jesus' friends - or St James' Church.....
PS - The question mark is also missing from both !!!!!!
ReplyDeleteNB The exclamation mark, as above, was the last punctuation mark to be introduced.
In fact, there are 2 apostrophes missing on the new shop's sign....
ReplyDeleteWill let you decide where the 2nd should go...
Punctuation is going out of fashion, Ken, due to texting, websites and social media.
ReplyDeleteWhen you went into Grimsby - by train - there used to be a building with a sign perfectly punctuated....
Plumbers' & Builders' Merchants
Sadly, the very useful semi-colon is now all but redundant. However, the colon has come back into use on many news websites for headlines. Example...
Revealed: Ken Harrison's thoughts on punctuation
All hail the great Mr Mike Walker, English teacher at Brigg Grammar School in the 1960s and 1970s. He insisted on perfect punctuation.
I must admit to sometimes splitting an infinitive but never dangle a participle.
"Which" has given way to "that" - even when the former is correct.
There was a fascinating programme on Radio 4 recently about the present perfect tense. The expert speaker called it "football perfect". As in...
"He's gone down the wing and put over a good cross".
Do footballers and managers go on a special course to learn it?
P.S.
What ever happened to the plu-perfect?
Here endeth the lesson.
hope they repaired the water damage.reason why the previous renters shut down was rain coming thrugh the roof damaging roof
ReplyDeleteOne important aspect of the English language is that it's dynamic - it changes and adapts to change. If it didn't, it would die and we would start to use another language that is actively alive.
ReplyDeleteFor example, the meaning of certain words change over time; words both enter and leave and we employ a different style of the English language according to the occasion, circumstances, or audience.
A wedding speech is different from a shopping list, while DIY self-assembly instructions remain completely confusing!
I don't fully accept that texting is a significant cause for poor spelling punctuation and the lack of grammar. Texting is a new form of English, reflecting the dynamics of the language. It is an abbreviated form that has the positively practical aspect of being economic on the otherwise required time-consuming dexterity skills.
If one blames such aspects as texting for the promotion of poor grammatical and punctuation, we must also examine other forms of abbreviated language that we have used on an everyday basis.
Texting may be a new form of shortened, time-saving language, but it is not unique. For instance, we use defined symbols in such subjects as mathematics. +, -, =, for example, are only instances of abbreviated language.
Similarly, in chemistry we have H2SO4, Ag....and in electrical circuits, the use of symbols represents the different components and functions.
However, there does seem to be some psychological and/or attitudinal elements that affect some folks in understanding such subjects as maths. Perhaps, folks do not understand the meaning of the symbols; to them it may appear to be some sort of mysterious cryptic code, but in reality, it is no difference to the abbreviations used in texting.
If someone is able to use and understand the language of texting then they have proven that they have transferable skills which can be used in other subjects.
However, texting has inherent rewards; a text is often rewarded with a response from the recipient. In maths and similar subjects, the study is often undertaken in private and any reward, or feedback is delayed, or deferred.
Overall, whether it's texting, maths, electronics, the symbols used are capable of being extracted into everyday English. It is perhaps the lack of sufficient explanation of what the symbols and abbreviations mean, such as BODMAS and not the actual mechanics of a subject that hold folks back. Similarly, there are rules in language - evolved over time - which have refined the ease of use and meanings within the English language.
Are we within a dynamic phase where certain punctuation marks are generally being ignored as they are considered unimportant. For example, do we really need a Question Mark at the end of a question? What really is the purpose of a Question Mark when question is obviously recognised as a question? Is it convention and practice that promotes the Question Mark, or is it just used to duplicate that the question is a question?
Where do we stand with Commas(?)
Is there a difference between:
'LET US EAT, MUM.' and 'LET US EAT MUM.' ?
....and apostrophes - will such abbreviated compond words, such as, ISN'T become ISNT, a stand-alone word? But is it the same with, 'THE BOYS GLOVES', when the appropriate use of an apostrophe can distinguish between one boy's ownership of gloves and a group of boys' gloves?