TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Re: The Death of the Apostrophe: "IT'S", not "ITS"
Subject:Re: The Death of the Apostrophe: "IT'S", not "ITS" From:LaVonna Funkhouser <lffunkhouser -at- HALNET -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 15 Nov 1995 08:10:10 -0600
>But, isn't that supposed to be "it's", the contraction, not "its" the
>possessive. Oh, weep for the misunderstood and abandoned.
I even saw "its'" in one of my favorite web pages yesterday. (Which
starts me on another thread: The Web makes it so easy to publish
informatiion that nobody seems to bother with running their pages
past an editor!)
The problem that I see very often is "'s" used for plurals--and
I *hate* it! It is not just the small, handpainted signs, those
marquee signs that all the fast food restaurants have, and sale
markers in the local stores. No! The problem includes a 6-ft.,
cut-out metal sign in front of a local establishment that
declares, "DONUT'S."
By the way, I don't know where the columnist got the "below 35" figure,
but I distinctly remember being taught how to use apostrophes--to my
teachers' credit. Perhaps the majority chose not to bother to *learn*.
I'd better stop before I really get going...
LaVonna
LaVonna F. Funkhouser Immediate Past President, OK Chapter
lffunkhouser -at- halnet -dot- com Program Manager, 1995 Region 5 Conf.
COREStaff Communication Svcs. Society for Technical Communication
My opinions do not officially represent anyone other than little ol' me.