Grammarians UNITE!

That was an enjoyable read.
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Since the rants have already included you're/your, they're/their/there, loose/lose, and so many more classics, can I add a couple of smaller rants?

First is the unwillingness of some to employ the spell check that came with their email/word processing program (what DO they think those squiggly lines mean???).

Second, is the pronunciation of 1 syllable words as 2 syllable words. My daughter, who is learning English as a second language, comes home from school saying such irritating things as: cay-yat (cat), they-yat (that), may-yam (ma'am), and more that I can't think of right now. In and of itself, it's enough to make want to leave TN.
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jvls1942, Bless your heart, you're a good man! Sorry to tell you, though, you were not irritating. Maybe your wife can tell us if you are a pain in the old patoot! The jury is still out until we hear from her. lol
 
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Is her name Mrs. Hopkins, or is it Mrs Hopkin?

If her name naturally ends in an s, then you add the apostrophe to the end of the word. I suspect that's the case.

This is correct. The rule makes it sound right, that's the important part:

Hopkin
Ms. Hopkin's ("mizz HOP kin s") Pluralized correctly

Hopkins
Ms. Hopkins' ("mizz HOP kin z") Pluralized correctly
Ms. Hopkins's ("mizz HOP kin z s") Pluralized incorrectly

So the teacher must be Ms. Hopkins, and the apostrophe at the end indicates pluralization. The extra s is not needed, or you'll sound like a punctured balloon!

How do I know? My name ends in S as well, that's how!


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Please feel free to let your son know that both the outgoing and new presidents were well aware of the difference between casual and formal communication. Bush was very west-Texan in speech, but could be understood fairly well when he felt the need. The same for Obama, he can be casual at times. There are times and places for both formal and the 'pull my finger' version of written communication.
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From a different and perhaps more important perspective, if he wants to find someone who is smart to hang out with, he'll have to prove he is smart. Like attracts like. I held out for someone who spoke two languages very well, could be casual, texts w d bes L33TS, and understands Latin. He presented himself to me as an educated man, and I instantly warmed to what was obviously respect on his part. Love at first email.
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'course, we still tell fart jokes at night, but it's easier to be educated and relax than be ill learned and pretend.


pips&peeps :

So, I have a question for English chick and Greyfields:

How do you pronounce aluminum?
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I learned to spell reading books printed in England: the color grey, going to colledge. The different accents sometimes trip me up, but I've always loved
ahl you MIN ee um
TRIB you tree (tributary)


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Ok, thanks. Dang, folks might learn this stuff easier if they didn't make it so dang hard to remember LOL! Its downright tricky stuff!

I know I know I know, Ugly Cowboy! But remember the "Hopkins's" example from above and try not to sound like a hissing snake, you'll be fine.

And my husband played for Oaklahoma, Goooo SOONERS!
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*************

Okay, my nits:

Wah-la! (phonetic imbecilic spelling of the french word for joyous creation upon completion, "voila")
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"Floor needs swept" (shortening of "the floor needs to be swept", now creeping into other areas such as "hair needs brushed" and "lazy boy needs larnin'!")
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plot-thickens wrote: "This is correct. The rule makes it sound right, that's the important part:

Hopkin
Ms. Hopkin's ("mizz HOP kin s") Pluralized correctly

Hopkins
Ms. Hopkins' ("mizz HOP kin z") Pluralized correctly
Ms. Hopkins's ("mizz HOP kin z s") Pluralized incorrectly

So the teacher must be Ms. Hopkins, and the apostrophe at the end indicates pluralization. The extra s is not needed, or you'll sound like a punctured balloon! "

I'm confused. I thought the apostrophe indicated possession, not pluralization?
"Ms. Hopkins' book" would mean a book in the possession of Ms. Hopkins. I have no idea how I would indicate there were two Ms. Hopkins. I know it wouldn't be Hopkinses but I didn't think it would be Hopkins' either. Oh well, college was a few years back!
 
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I believe you would use the plural of the courtesy title.

For the book owned by more than one Miss Hopkins, it would be be "the Misses Hopkins' book."

Or for more than one Ms. Hopkins, it would be either "the Mses. Hopkins' book" or "the Mss. Hopkins' book."
(I think the jury is stil out on the plural of Ms.)

Wayne
 
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I believe you would use the plural of the courtesy title.

For the book owned by more than one Miss Hopkins, it would be be "the Misses Hopkins' book."

Or for more than one Ms. Hopkins, it would be either "the Mses. Hopkins' book" or "the Mss. Hopkins' book."
(I think the jury is stil out on the plural of Ms.)

Wayne

Oh that does sound correct Wayne. Highfalutin, but correct!
 
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your recliner needs an education?

Yes! It needs to support me AND the dog. At one time, and comfortably, thank you very much!
 

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