Welcome to Apostrophe's Anonymous
Oh, the dreaded apostrophe. That pesky punctuation. Many people, even governments, have tried to dispense with it altogether. It can be an annoyance, described as a flaw in the language, or a bane to non-native speakers. The apostrophe can also be a reason why English is such a powerful language. Anyway, it's here, so we'll help you to deal with it.
Before you approve printing thousands of brochures, or creating that expensive sign, or producing literature for your new flagship product, run it by an editor first.
No, really. You should.
Before you approve printing thousands of brochures, or creating that expensive sign, or producing literature for your new flagship product, run it by an editor first.
No, really. You should.
This exposes the quirky English language at it's worst -- or is it "its" ?
Thats the question.
(or is it that's?)
Photo by Roger Haworth
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Thats the question.
(or is it that's?)
Photo by Roger Haworth
Source: Wikimedia Commons
That's the risk for a business or anyone trying to communicate to others. Some potential customers will not notice the error ("whew!"). Some will notice, but will not mind ("a common mistake -- it's no big deal"). Some customers may wonder if this company is really working at its best. Would you place your trust in their services if they miss the low-hanging fruit of basic English? Did you notice how we used its and it's in these sentences?
It's no big deal if such errors appear in a personal email message or other informal communication. However, it can send the wrong message when the communication really counts.
It's no big deal if such errors appear in a personal email message or other informal communication. However, it can send the wrong message when the communication really counts.