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Banterist: Home > January 2004 > January 20, 2004

Grammar Cop: It's Incorrect

itsincorrect.jpg


Complaint: Misdemeanor apostrophe negligence; affixing faulty apostrophe to glass surface.

Defendant: Janovic Paints

Report: During execution of window-dressing campaign designed to look like it was done by amateurs, a superfluous apostrophe was placed in the possessive "its" turning it into an "it is" or "it has." This made no sense and troubled the officer terribly.

Fine: $85 & 1 gallon Benjamin Moore semi-gloss base coat.


©Brian Sack | Filed under: Grammar Cop | 7 Comments | Email to a Friend
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Comments

the officer needs grammar lessons.

the apostrophe is a magical thing. it makes things possessive or contractions. in this case, "it's" is possessive.

Posted by: pak | January 23, 2004 4:45 PM

No Pak, the officer doesn't need them. Apostrophes are not used with posessive pronouns (its, his, hers). Your fine is $45 plus $50 for misdemeanor smugness and a written warning on capital offenses.

Posted by: Brian | January 23, 2004 5:20 PM

The magical aposthrophe? I don't remember that from "School House Rock".

Don't mess with grammar cop.


P.S. I really hope my use of quotation marks doesn't warrant a fine.

Or my spelling of warrant.


Posted by: Scott Biear | January 24, 2004 9:46 PM

"Warrant" is fine, but "aposthrope" sounds like something Moliere wrote.

Posted by: Brian | January 26, 2004 1:47 PM

How about the fact that they should have said, "We feel THAT our product stands..." I sincerely regret that I will not be able read your highly amusing commentary on how disturbing it is that they "feel their product". I might even check back later to see if you've added something particularly pithy.

Posted by: Troye | August 12, 2004 3:43 PM

an expletive "that" is removable. However, it is usually reccomended that it be left alone in more formal writing.

Posted by: Altyre | November 10, 2004 7:41 PM

No, it is not usually "reccomended." It is usually "recommended," as in, "it is usually recommended that if you must correct, correct correctly."

Posted by: Ratballs | May 10, 2005 1:58 PM

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