Today’s bloopers include the dreaded misplaced apostrophe as well as grammatical infractions. The Grammar Cop sobs quietly.
- “The NRA is banning firearms during Vice President Mike Pence’s speech at it’s annual conference.”
- “…the reader can easily identify with his situations and dilemmas because for the most part, we have all went through similar scenarios.”
- “Over 50 vendors from boutiques to restaurants will claim there place along Monkland Avenue…”
The corrections:
- No, the apostrophe in “Pence’s” is correct. I’m talking about the one in IT’S. Why is an apostrophe in there? If we do that, we get the contraction for IT IS. But that’s not what is needed here. When we want to show possessive (the NRA’s annual conference = its annual conference) you must say its. No apostrophe. (The Grammar Cop has unearthed this crime dozens of times over the life of this blog, and she will continue to point it out as long as necessary. You have been forewarned. 😁) For another recent example, see #3 in the previous FF post.
- “We have went” is not correct grammar. This verb form should be we have gone. Of course if we omit the “have,” then it’s all right to say we went.
- The word “there” is an adverb, meaning in that place. This is not what’s needed in this phrase. It should say will claim their place, since their is the possessive form (of the pronoun they). See also the list of possessive pronouns given in correction #3 in previous FF post.
The Grammar Cop hopes you are committing all these rules to memory, because she plans to spring a midsummer QUIZ on you poor unsuspecti- I mean, on you lovely FF fans! In a few weeks, friends! 😜
Crossed Eyes and Dotted Tees 
1-Are they banning the guns ironically? (Not surprised by the grammar error.)
2-The writer has not went to English class.
3-The writer left out the word “that”. The sentence should be, “Over 50 vendors from boutiques to restaurants will claim that there place along Monkland Avenue…”
😀
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1) Yes! LOL!
2) LOLOL!
3) Actually it should be “that *thar* place” to obtain that thar true rustic flavour. Agreed? 😀
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I agree completely! 😀
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For #2, I was thinking “we have all been through…”
And for #3, I spotted the there/their, but really was fighting my comma-loving-self to surround ‘from boutiques to restaurants’ with a pair. Would that have been wrong, or just unnecessary?
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Been through is a fine alternative.
I have to say it: the use of unnecessary commas marks a writer as an amateur. “Less is better” – unless miscommunication would result from the commas’ omission. So: not wrong, but not needed here.
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I think I’ll blame my side project as a voice actor for a friend’s fairy tale audio drama (podcast). I like commas there so I know when to pause to breathe while reading scripts.
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Ah, makes sense!
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Now, I would have been tripped up by Pence and would not have put the apostrophe then s, but just the apostrophe. Hmmm.
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Uh… you mean as in Pence’ underwear? 😬 How is that forming a possessive?
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Yes, I don’t know why I thought that though. We had an arbitration matter and the name was Mexican, ending in “z” and I made a possessive with just the apostrophe after “z” and not with an “s” (like Hernandez’ students) and perhaps that is what confused me.
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Apostrophe-s. Always:
Simmons’s underwear.
Lopez’s underwear.
Hodess’s underwear.
No misunderstanding this way.
I don’t know why I’m fixated on underwear. 😂
(There may be a few name exceptions such as Jesus’ underwear. Oops! Is that blasphemous? 😬😁)
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I’m no grammar expert and I sure see it as I never put the “s” in. We have a client that is a Head Start facility for preschool kids in Southwest Detroit. The school has mostly Mexican children attending and Mexican teachers and assistant teachers. Almost all of them have a name ending in “z” – well, I learned something tonight. Why does Jesus not have an apostrophe s?
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Something to do with ultra-respect for biblical names. Not sure – I just recall reading something on it eons ago.
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Interesting – I am glad I know about those names spelling now. We no longer have that client unfortunately. It was a huge non-profit company and almost all Hispanic teachers and attendees, so the names came up quite often.
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For some reason, I am just bugged by the “Over 50” in #3. Though it’s more wordy, I prefer “More than 50.” It’s a bit like people misusing “less” vs. “fewer.” Your thoughts?
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It doesn’t bother me, but if it bugs you, I strongly suggest you head on over to LinkedIn and join the group, Grammar Geeks. There you will find like-minded icky-picky folks such as yourself. 😀
I’m just yankin’ your chain! I’m picky too, yet this particular thingy doesn’t get my goat.
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Actually it should be “that *thar* place” to obtain that thar true rustic flavour. Agreed?
*thar* helps explain the location to ‘over Yonder’. A seldom confused term for a location. lol
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😂😂😂
Nice to “see” you again Ron!
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