When I was still at school, some of my English teachers really focused a lot on the apostrophe rule. So since then the apostrophe rule is something I always notice and I always seem to notice when people use it incorrectly or forget to use it when they should saying things like "Monday's, Tuesday's" and so on. I've even seen some employment agents say things like "holiday's" in their advertisements - and they are employment agents!
I will never forget (many years ago) when we still lived in South Africa we had a domestic worker and she sent her son to the primary school right next to where we stayed. Because we sometimes helped out with the school fees, she often brought his report card to show to us. The one year I was absolutely shocked to find his teacher wrote as explanation why some of his marks were a bit low: "he play's too much in class, he pay's little attention, he talk's too much in class". So here she was criticising him because his English marks (amongst others) were too low and yet, she made three grammatical errors. Three! And she is the teacher! I wrote a letter of complaint to the headmaster saying how she had absolutely no right criticising him if she was this terrible with her English. He had some or the other weak excuse defending her, but since that day I vowed that my kids would never see the inside of that school.
Now I'm by no means perfect with my grammar - after all English is my second language, but I think I do okay. And so on Friday, just after Bianca's Award Assembly, Terence, Caitlyn and I went to the foodcourt for lunch. As we sat there I noticed this screen at the movies, you know one of those that scroll the words along and they were advertising some of the upcoming features and this is what I read:
MICHAEL JACKSON 'THIS IS IT' IS COMING!!!!!!!!! THE PREMIER OF THE WORLDS MOST ANTICIPATED FEATURE. THIS YEAR MICHAEL JACKSON 'THIS IS IT' WILL MAKE ITS WORLD WIDE RELEASE ON OCTOBER 29TH. ADVANCED TICKET SALES FROM SEPTEMBER 27TH....... THIS WILL BE SHOWING FOR ONLY 2 WEEKS SO DON'T MISS OUT!!!!! TO ALL YOU TEE BIRD'S AND PINK LADIE'S OUT THERE.... WHY ITS GREASE LIGHTING!!!! GREASE IS COMING BACK TO THE BIG SCREEN ON OCTOBER 4TH FOR ONLY ONE DAY.... ALL TICKETS ONLY $10 AND ON SALE NOW.
I couldn't help noticing their particular use of (or lack of) the apostrophe. Can you spot the mistakes?
I will never forget (many years ago) when we still lived in South Africa we had a domestic worker and she sent her son to the primary school right next to where we stayed. Because we sometimes helped out with the school fees, she often brought his report card to show to us. The one year I was absolutely shocked to find his teacher wrote as explanation why some of his marks were a bit low: "he play's too much in class, he pay's little attention, he talk's too much in class". So here she was criticising him because his English marks (amongst others) were too low and yet, she made three grammatical errors. Three! And she is the teacher! I wrote a letter of complaint to the headmaster saying how she had absolutely no right criticising him if she was this terrible with her English. He had some or the other weak excuse defending her, but since that day I vowed that my kids would never see the inside of that school.
Now I'm by no means perfect with my grammar - after all English is my second language, but I think I do okay. And so on Friday, just after Bianca's Award Assembly, Terence, Caitlyn and I went to the foodcourt for lunch. As we sat there I noticed this screen at the movies, you know one of those that scroll the words along and they were advertising some of the upcoming features and this is what I read:
MICHAEL JACKSON 'THIS IS IT' IS COMING!!!!!!!!! THE PREMIER OF THE WORLDS MOST ANTICIPATED FEATURE. THIS YEAR MICHAEL JACKSON 'THIS IS IT' WILL MAKE ITS WORLD WIDE RELEASE ON OCTOBER 29TH. ADVANCED TICKET SALES FROM SEPTEMBER 27TH....... THIS WILL BE SHOWING FOR ONLY 2 WEEKS SO DON'T MISS OUT!!!!! TO ALL YOU TEE BIRD'S AND PINK LADIE'S OUT THERE.... WHY ITS GREASE LIGHTING!!!! GREASE IS COMING BACK TO THE BIG SCREEN ON OCTOBER 4TH FOR ONLY ONE DAY.... ALL TICKETS ONLY $10 AND ON SALE NOW.
I couldn't help noticing their particular use of (or lack of) the apostrophe. Can you spot the mistakes?
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3 comments:
Hmmm I'm quite a grammar fiend too (not perfect but I do notice a lot of mistakes - even in published books!)
Here is my take on correcting it:
MICHAEL JACKSON's 'THIS IS IT' IS COMING!!!!!!!!! THE PREMIER OF THE WORLDS MOST ANTICIPATED FEATURE. THIS YEAR MICHAEL JACKSON's 'THIS IS IT' WILL MAKE ITS WORLD WIDE RELEASE ON OCTOBER 29TH. ADVANCED TICKET SALES FROM SEPTEMBER 27TH....... THIS WILL BE SHOWING FOR ONLY 2 WEEKS SO DON'T MISS OUT!!!!! TO ALL YOU TEE BIRDs AND PINK LADIES OUT THERE.... WHY IT'S GREASE LIGHTING!!!! GREASE IS COMING BACK TO THE BIG SCREEN ON OCTOBER 4TH FOR ONLY ONE DAY.... ALL TICKETS ONLY $10 AND ON SALE NOW.
Let me know if it's what you picked up too ;)
Is it the ITS in Greased Lightening, should it read It's ...?
LOL, too funny! Here we go, my annoying wee turn:
Michael Jackson's "This Is It" is coming!!! The premier of the World's most anticipated feature. This year Michael Jackson's "This Is It" will make its world wide release on October 29th. Advanced ticket sales from September 27th.... This will be shown for only 2 weeks, so don't miss out!! To all you Tee Birds & Pink Laides out there... Why it's Grease Lightning!! Grease is coming back to the big screen on October 4th for only one day... All tickets only $10 and on sale now.
(Sorry, am a grammar freak - Lea, the fact that English is not your first language really impresses me. You have a great grasp on all the stupid rules & due to that I enjoy reading your blog!) :)
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