Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site udenva.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!nbires!boulder!cisden!udenva!showard From: showard@udenva.UUCP (showard) Newsgroups: net.misc Subject: Re: Is English decaying rapidly? Message-ID: <936@udenva.UUCP> Date: Thu, 31-Oct-85 15:26:10 EST Article-I.D.: udenva.936 Posted: Thu Oct 31 15:26:10 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 3-Nov-85 13:29:02 EST References: <1427@cae780.UUCP> <162@opus.UUCP> Organization: U of Denver Lines: 35 > Don't forget that a large part of the population which allegedly speaks > English (American) is unable to distinguish the possessive pronoun "its" > from the contraction "it's". I have seen the contraction form used so > often where the possessive pronoun is intended that I now do a double- > take when I see "its" used correctly. It amazes me that so many people > have never gotten the use of a three-letter word right. > -- > Dick Dunn {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd (303)444-5710 x3086 > ...At last it's the real thing...or close enough to pretend. As long as we're talking about apostrophes: 1.) Your vs. You're. Usually one sees the possessive used in place of the contraction, although the opposite seems to be occuring more and more fre- quently. 2.) Pluralizing a family name. There is no need (and no conceivable reason)to put an apostrophe in "the Smith's" or "the Jones's" or whatever. One more, not concerned with apostrophes, is what I call the Whom Syndrome. This syndrome is used by people who have been corrected for misusing a word several times (i.e. chastised for using who instead of whom, me instead of I, etc.). They then use the 'correct' term (whom, I, myself, you're) in place of the 'incorrect' one (who, me, me, your) when the 'incorrect' one is actually right. Examples of the syndrome include: "The two men agreed to congratulate whomever won." "...between you and I" "The message was sent to Mr. Smith and myself." And finally, a familiar one to anyone who's ever flown: "Both Miss Jones and myself have enjoyed serving you on this flight." --Mr. Blore, the DJ who would not die --aka Steve Howard, ...udenva!showard