I have to admit, I am, unashamedly, a grammar nerd. I guess that’s probably a good thing, considering I’m a speech pathologist….
There has been some talk recently of ridding our language of the innocent apostrophe (the 27thletter of the alphabet, no less). I needed to sit down when I read that. What the?
Apparently texting on a phone (where inserting the apostrophe requires too many taps on the keyboard), website domain names and other computer text requirements just make for a cumbersome apostrophe, and it’s likely to disappear from the language altogether anyway. Really?
Or is it due to “’incorrect, lazy, ignorant and appalling’ apostrophe catastrophes”, which John Richards, the former sub-editor of the Apostrophe Protection Society (yes, it really does exist!) believes to exist amongst English-speaking humans?
As Mary Norris, the Comma Queen of the New Yorker suggests, “It just is not that hard.” Too right.
What are your thoughts? Read the article here at ABC News
Our speech pathology and psychology clinic is located in Braddon, ACT, in Canberra’s CBD. Call us on 5117 4890 or email reception@inpositivehealth.com to get in touch.
In Positive Health, Canberra. Nel MacBean Speech Pathologist Canberra. Campbell MacBean Psychologist Canberra.