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Plural Noun Forms

From this site it appears you're right. Apostrophes are only used when referring to more than letter or word, such as A's or and's. But there are no apostrophes in CDs, IQs, or DSs.

The author George Orwell wrote an article about this in 1945; I find it a very interesting read, and probably even more relevant today. (It seems remarkably prescient in many respects.) It's called Politics and the English Language, but don't let the title put you off: it's not about politics per se, just about how writers (mis)use English in various types of writing, political and otherwise.

It's online in many places, for example here and here. Well worth a read.

Please, oh please hire someone who can write complete, well-ordered sentences. Pauses in sentences are not delineated by periods. Spend a little extra money to acquire an employee who knows the proper use of the comma. However solid your technology may be, your sales pitch is rendered less than convincing by your amateurish use of the English language.

There are news bites coming out about Firefox everywhere you could possibly imagine.

Thanks, but we've already heard about Google News.

Try some grammar... It's very addictive. Once you start, you can't stop. See this link, it will start you in the right direction.

Please, for the love of all the is holy, click that link. Do the world a favour.

http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/plurals.htm#wor d_as_word

This might have some relevance.

If you treat zero and none as synonymous, then it can be either singular or plural. It is usually plural, unless context indicates that it should be singular.

"Capitalize this....
-Proper nouns
--* Specific persons and things: George W. Bush, the White House, General Motors Corporation..."

The Internet (as opposed to an internet, which refers to any interconnected group of networks) is a specific internet, thus it is a proper noun, thus it must be capitalized.

Wired isn't considered an authority on grammar for a a reason. But they are just furthering a stereotype that geeks cannot use the English language properly.

• Jeffrey got four A's on his last report card.
• Towanda learned very quickly to mind her p's and q's.
• You have fifteen and's in that last paragraph.

No, for a proper noun, or for a plural ending in "s", it is not necessary to add the extra "s" after the apostrophy. So Mr Burns' is infact quite correct.

I usually make fun of the grammar snobs since I violate the rules so much... ;)

But I think in this case, I may become one:

I'm afraid you are wrong.

"Why don't you take a picture, it'll last longer".
Periods go inside quotation marks, Mr. So-called Nazi.

Oh come now. Being insolent requires more effort than that. Since you performed the function of "pseudo-dry intellectual humor," I will oblige you with the role of "grammar nazi."

The first mistake you made indicates you are an American, as we are notorious for botching our use of this particular verb tense. You should have used "You've made" or perhaps "You have made" instead of "You made." This is writing is traditionally considered to be present tense, and the present perfect tense is used to indicate action has begun in the past but is continuing to have an effect on the present.

Secondly, you have failed miserably (notice the present perfect tense) at using parallelism in your sentences. Parallelism is the concept of using similiar gramatical structures in each peice of your sentence in order to foster understanding. Observe the difference: You have made a reference to a situation where people are staring at you, which is often rejoindered with the drily humorous, "Why don't you take a picture, it'll last longer". I believe you'll find with only slight modification the level of ostentation is raised markedly.

The third and final point I wished to make is more of a quibble with your logic rather than a true grammar gaffe, so I do appologize for breaking with the rest of my post. I'm not entirely sure that your claim of an indirect reference is entirely accurate. As the connection between the situation and the device capable of fulfilling the edict given in the situation is the source of the humor in this context, I feel the reference is far more than indirect. I would say that it is core to the entire issue at hand.



For your convenience: An easy to follow color coded guide to the Present Perfect Tense

Additional information on parallel constructions in grammar

Please, mod this comment +5 Asshole.

(Notice the incongruity between the foul language in the last line and the elevated and condescending tone of the rest of the post? Many people find this amusing, while others find it brash and unpleasant.)

Are you kidding? I mean, If I'm reading an article, and I see part of it highlighted as a link - I'm going to assume its going to be more content for the story I am reading, maybe adding a deeper explaination or background to whatever phrase is highlighted. If I am seriously studying a story, and follow a link to somehting like "air saferty", I want to see an article on air safety, not some page with 100 flashing banner ads trying to convince me that i need to buy a 'terrorist detector 2000' for only 29.95.

The only way that I could ever see this justified AT ALL, and i still think its not cool, would be that Every ad linkd from the story is labelled "AD" somehow - either by bracketed text, or maybe the link being a different colour from normal links.

I find it very hard to see any way that this isn't a bad thing. I think it could turn in to a very bad think.

Remember - Adverts were first picked up by old paper media as a way to support the actual journalism - It would cover the costs to create and deliver the content. Now it seems we're getting closer and closer to the content being made to deliver the adverts. How long until articles are being changed to fit in certain key words from advertisers? Scary.

Are you kidding? I mean, If I'm reading an article, and I see part of it highlighted as a link - I'm going to assume its going to be more content for the story I am reading, maybe adding a deeper explaination or background to whatever phrase is highlighted. If I am seriously studying a story, and follow a link to somehting like "air saferty", I want to see an article on air safety, not some page with 100 flashing banner ads trying to convince me that i need to buy a 'terrorist detector 2000' for only 29.95.

The only way that I could ever see this justified AT ALL, and i still think its not cool, would be that Every ad linkd from the story is labelled "AD" somehow - either by bracketed text, or maybe the link being a different colour from normal links.

I find it very hard to see any way that this isn't a bad thing. I think it could turn in to a very bad think.

Remember - Adverts were first picked up by old paper media as a way to support the actual journalism - It would cover the costs to create and deliver the content. Now it seems we're getting closer and closer to the content being made to deliver the adverts. How long until articles are being changed to fit in certain key words from advertisers? Scary.

Only an American would spell it "HUMOR". (And yes, it is correct to put the period after the quote in that case.)

Actually I do confuse English and Japanese sometimes. And French too. Does that make me cool? Doubt it. Language is simply a tool to communicate. Besides, I post on Slashdot...How can I be cool?

Since when has engrish become a racist insult? I don't like the term japlish much, but engrish has never bothered me.

Anyway, not interested in trading insults with you... If you're in Osaka I'll buy you a beer though.

(Oh, you've still missed the humour in my first message... I think you could use that beer!)

Look here.

Putting punctuation inside of quotation marks is an American convention, but the British put them outside. I use a combination of the two styles, depending on the circumstances. If I quoting something directly, I will put the punctuation on the inside. Sometimes the American way of punctuating doesn't make any sense. For instance, take the following sentence:

Did she say "That woman is ugly"?

It doesn't make sense to put the punctuation inside of the quote, because the quotation was not itself a question.

Granted, I should probably try to stick to one style or the other for consistency's sake, but it's really correct either way.

Disciplinary Actions List - Bi-Bz ... Surrender of license accepted. Effective July 1, 1993. BROWN & MAUGHAN, AN ACCOUNTANCY CORPORATION (COR 2529). MAUGHAN, MARK G. (CPA 38184) ...

Disciplinary Actions List - Bi-Bz ... Surrender of license accepted. Effective July 1, 1993. ... BROWN & MAUGHAN, AN ACCOUNTANCY CORPORATION (COR 2529). MAUGHAN, MARK G. (CPA 38184) ...

This is a pet peeve of mine: the use (utilisation?) of the word utilise/utilize where the word 'use' would do. Though not technically incorrect, it is usually a byproduct either of a misguided desire to appear educated or of too much exposure to management-speak...or both.

Normally I'm not picky about this sort of thing on Slashdot, but in the context of this thread and this particular comment I think it appropriate to observe that grammar and spelling are (not is) utilised. Subject-verb agreement is a very important concept, and should be taught as a very early part of any grammar curriculum. If I were* a genuinely cruel copy editor, I would also note that the last sentence of the parent post is egregiously comma spliced.

I fear now that I've racked up sufficient bad karma from this little rant to ensure a spelling or grammar error will creep into this post....

*Kudos to you for studying German. I learned more about English grammer through my studies in French, Spanish, and German than I ever did in my English classes. The starred phrase above represents a correct use of the subjunctive--a concept I first saw clearly defined in Spanish 101.

CT
NY
MA

apparently, putting sex offenders and deadbeat dads in the stocks isn't easy with long hair, an unwaxed head, non-perfect teeth and a suit that costs less than three grand.

of course, it's a different game once you get down into NJ. That dude looks like Herbert Kornfeld.

• He told Jorge to turn the boat around.
• Jorge, turn the boat around.

"Wanting" is a verb; you're under the impression it's a noun. Your hypocritical desire to criticize someone's English is another noun, and it's the subject of this sentence too.

Summarily, we have a meandering, nonsequetorial, and run-on sentence, beginning with the word "And" no less.

The chips that test better are marked as DX and the chips that have minor flaws are downgraded and marked SX.

This is untrue.
cf. here and here. Rumors and FUD, man. There is no way in hell a corporation would ship defective parts. The legal liability aspect would be horrifying.

It is a marketing move taken straight from intel, though -- scale back the clock speed to compete in lower-end markets.

Shall we diagram this?

I won't. However, I will explain that "project" is the subject (word 3) and "explains" is the verb (word 4), and the object begins with "that" (word 5).

Yes, the structure of the sentence violates a lot of the principles of good writing, however it is merely a run-on sentence, not a string of prepositional phrases. Most of what you're referring to are dependent clauses. (Read more.)

Please read this URL. I think you will find following the instructions therein will greatly help your ability to express yourself publicly.

Did you diagram it out? Unfortunately for you, that looks like a long, but verifiably grammatically correct sentence, with one spelling error, "unneccesary" (sic), a misplaced comma or two, and missing an apostrophe in "Microsofts" (sic); not a run-on sentence, as you would have others believe, with your misguided second-rate education. While you're diagramming the first sentence, you should give my rebutal a go too. :) Exercises like these are fun!

I'm especially fond of this little bit I found on diagramming sentences:

ASK MR. LANGUAGE PERSON
Q. Please explain how to diagram a sentence.

A. First spread the sentence out on a clean, flat surface, such as an ironing board. Then, using a sharp pencil or X-Acto knife, locate the "predicate," which indicates where the action has taken place and is usually located directly behind the gills. For example, in the sentence: "LaMont never would of bit a forest ranger," the action probably took place in a forest. Thus your diagram would be shaped like a little tree with branches sticking out of it to indicate the locations of the various particles of speech, such as your gerunds, proverbs, adjutants, etc.

-- Dave Barry

Yes, we know. "Would of bit" is an unacceptable spelling of "would have bitten," but Mr. Language Person is not very bright and to change his spelling would be just plain sic.

It's not a run-on sentence. It's gramatically correct, though it is quite long. Take a look at Webster's Run-on Reference.

However, I trusted there skills, and respected there experience

Jeez... People, it's really not that difficult!

There: not here, adverb - at or in that place
Their: not mine, possessive form of they
They're: they are

Your: possessive form of you
You're: You are

Its: possessive form of it
It's: It is

If you want to exercise, go here.

Happy spelling!

Wow, a grammar Nazi's retort, on Slashdot! If in doubt, avoid the argument, attack the grammar, I guess.

I prefer to do both.

Reading a few style guides, oh Published One, will reveal differing opinions on what punctuation to use at the end of rhetorical questions.

Read a reputable style guide like The Associated Press Stylebook or, if you prefer an online reference on this issue, click here. You will find that such sources agree that it is not proper to end a rhetorical question with a period. Just because the style guide for the Appleton Shopping Gazette permits it does not mean that it is correct.

And here we have a published writer who understands neither basic punctuation, nor hyperbole.

You are getting in way over your head. Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, as in she ate a ton of cake. When you asked "what kind of poor bastard doesn't have 5 laptops and 10 spare HDDs lying around?", that was hyperbole. But your question "What kind of cheap Scot doesn't have a spare fucking helicopter...?" was drawing an analogy between having a spare hard drives and having a helicopter. Given how insanely cheap under-10GB hard drives have become, it was an absurd and flawed analogy, but it was an analogy nonetheless.

I damn well hope not, but I guess a criticism of women must mean I'm male, right? Wrong.

Gee, I guess neither of us is very good at identifying gender based on our preconceptions. Perhaps we should both stop trying to.

By the way, I'm sorry that the example I gave was targeted below you.

I did not say that it was "below me." I said that the show was aimed at a different demographic. To be blunt, it was created to appeal to a young, black audience. I am neither young nor black.

As a published author, would you prefer to be likened to haughty Shakespearean character?

Quit blowing one comment I made way out of proportion. I just mentioned that fact to refute the insinuation that my reading skills were below par. That's all. Period. Give it a rest.

But back to your argument that you want addressed: Just what was it? That I must be rich and insensitive to assume that the average Slashdot reader would have, or could afford, a spare hard drive? Come on! A used one big enough for a full install of FreeBSD can be had for under $10. Hell, for about $100, you can get a complete PC that would be more than adequate for running FreeBSD (Computer Geeks currently has a refurbished Dell PIII 500MHz PC with 128MB RAM, 10GB hard drive, and a CD-ROM for $99).

Yes, you're right.
Quotation Marks.

My bad. Even so, my "Duh!" comment was supposed to be funny, not sarcastic.
I wish I could say that I introduced language errors just to be funny. The truth is that I wanted to be quicker than the ten other people who got the same idea.

Drop the comma after "content".
You're right. If I had read it through properly I would have caught it. I now found at that lists should have a comma before the "and" at the end. I learned differently.

Add a comma after "However".
That was a stupid typo. When I exchanged the "but" for "however", the sentence became wrong. "But" was fine in the first place.

Finally, putting the punctuation inside the quotes on a quoted word is technically correct I suppose, but as a programmer it really hurts my eyes.
Puctuation? Do you mean capitalization?
Or are you referring to the comma after "1001 Tense Formations"?/"1001 Tense Formations?"

You can't be a C programmer, we know how to use punctuation.

Comma splice.

1. You should show up to school, it is your parents responsibility to ensure you do.

-Lucas

The original poster is correct. The prepositional phrase "in this house" is adverbial, and directly modifies "obey". Separating the adverbial phrase from its verb with a comma would indicate that the phrase is a separate idea -- perhaps an appositive (Homer is speaking to the Lisa that's in the house).

If you could remove the phrase without changing the meaning of the sentence, then the phrase should be set off by commas. That's not the case here. "Lisa, we obey the laws of thermodynamics." is not the same as "Lisa, in this house we obey the laws of thermodynamics."

You, sir, have violated Rule #11. Please take appropriate steps with your own head!

Use a comma to set off parenthetical elements, as in "The Founders Bridge, which spans the Connecticut River, is falling down."

Amatuers.

- the grammar fascist

F/IF Flawless
VVS-1 thru VVS-2 extremely small inclusions under 10x and are quite expensive
VS-1 thru VS-2 Only small inclusions, and though still expensive in larger sizes can be affordable.
SI-1 and SI-2 Diamonds have inclusions that can easily be seen under 10x, but are not visible to the naked eye. This is the most commonly sold clarity quality today.
I-2 and I-3 Diamonds possess easily seen to the naked eye inclusions that not only effect beauty, but reach a point where durability can be questioned too!!

Quoted from:
http://www.qvctc.commnet.edu/student/AnneDePaula/d iamondqual.htm

found better website
to justify my grammar.
learn from it you should.

No, I meant "commas." You shouldn't be sure of yourself, because you're wrong.

I use them when I think a pause is needed to understand the statement.

Oh, like this? "PostgreSQL, is spelled, post-gress-que-ell, because post-gress-sequel, is harder to pronounce, and doubles the 's'."

Putting 4 commas in a sentence that should contain 1 at most doesn't clarify the sentence, it just makes you sound like an idiot. If you can't understand your own writing, inserting random commas won't help you. Instead, go read a basic grammar book. You might want to look up "plurals vs. possessives" while you're in there. Here's a little exercise to help you out. (It's "others just repeat," not "other's just repeat.")

For someone so bothered when others mispronounce things (even when you're wrong about it like "database,") you don't have a very good grasp of the language yourself. And don't worry, there was no danger of you sounding intelligent, accidentally or otherwise. Yeah, I'm pedantic about English, but I also know how to use it.

By the way, it's much easier to "get the point across" when you use the language correctly. I don't see how you couldn't understand that.

Use a comma to separate the elements in a series (three or more things), including the last two. "He hit the ball, dropped the bat, and ran to first base." You may have learned that the comma before the "and" is unnecessary, which is fine if you're in control of things. However, there are situations when, if you don't use this comma (especially when the list is complex or lengthy), these last two items in the list will try to glom together (like macaroni and cheese). Using a comma between all the items in a series, including the last two, avoids this problem.

2. In a series of thee or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last.

To quote Webster's grammar quide:

An apostrophe is also used to form some plurals, especially the plural of letters and digits. Raoul got four A's last term and his sister got four 6's in the Olympic ice-skating competition. It is no longer considered necessary (but used to be!) or even correct to create the plural of years or decades or abbreviations with an apostrophe. He wrote several novels during the 1930s. There are fifteen PhDs on our faculty. My sister and I have identical IQs . (If you wrote Ph.D. with periods, you would add an apostrophe before the pluralizing "s": Ph.D.'s)

More information on the apostrophe can be found here.

I just read your link, and OUCH. Painful. That's why I can program in several computers languages, pretty much learn a new one in a few days, but I only speak one language*. (Yes, I am an IgnorantAmericanTM. God bless America. Because we need it. Just not quite as bad as everyone else)

I'll have to remember the pain of that webpage the next time I feel like grumbling about stupid compiler errors.

*I took a year of Spanish, but only speak it for vanishingly small values of speak.

-

>>> the .13 micron process

>> By the way, that's "0.13 microns."

> No, it's 0.13 micron.


One might argue that it's really "0.13-micron", but according to webster.commnet.edu, we may all be right.

I'm not a nazi, I'm just anal-retentive.

-- D.

Hey, they have this great new invention called a sentence. Should I submit this on Slashdot? Its "News Nerds Could Use."

The link to "vocative phrase" is incorrect, it should go here, which is contained in Darling's Guide to Grammar and Writing.

Firstly, a few notes on your punctuation:

• There's no need to capitalize the first word after a semi-colon [first sentence, second paragraph].
• In "Come on Cliff, break things ...", Cliff is a vocative phrase, so it needs to be set off with a pair of commas.
• In "it does make sense but has too many prepositional phrases", but introduces an independent clause, so it should be preceded by a comma (please see rule #4 in Strunk's Guide. BTW, if you're not already familiar with Strunk's Guide, take a look. You'll dig it).

I thought I was going to be blind before I could finish the story

With these in mind, the sentence could be better recast: I nearly went blind, finishing the story.

Finally, unless you have a particular (quantitative) quality metric in mind, it doesn't make sense to maintain an amount of quality [final sentence]; amount of is unneeded.

As far as I can tell, this falls under clause B on this page but it's a fuzzy rule so I'm not sure.
--