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Grammar Cop: It's Incorrect
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.
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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