Semi colons

[purplepolly]

Did that need an apostrophe?

They're only useful if the meaning would be ambiguous without. In this case we only have one each of yellow fang and 3bm on the forum, so only an extreme pedant could object to the punctuation. We do however have plenty of those on cc.

 

[661-Pete]

When typing, leave two spaces after a full stop or question mark.

I do. I'm old-fashioned, you see. However, vBulletin has other ideas and edits out the 'superfluous' spaces. Gotcha!

 

[fossyant]

Dunno how to use them really me.............. I like dots....................... lots of dots..................................... can you tell.....................................

Good job I do number stuff............................. but can only use one dot . doh

 

[661-Pete]

You can force vBulletin to retain the double spaces.  But the only way appears to be to enclose your post in [noparse][code]...

[/noparse] tags. Maybe Shaun knows of a workaround?[/code]

 

[Bigtwin]

They're only useful if the meaning would be ambiguous without. In this case we only have one each of yellow fang and 3bm on the forum, so only an extreme pedant could object to the punctuation. We do however have plenty of those on cc.

It's "c.c." actually. Also, your first sentence ends with a proposition; very poor.

And you are wrong in your assertion. In fact, only a moderate pedant is required.

 

[purplepolly]

And you are wrong in your assertion. In fact, only a moderate pedant is required.

Quick everyone, flee for your lives, abandon the thread.

 

[Bigtwin]

Quick everyone, flee for your lives, abandon the thread.

Tisk!

*Sigh*

"Everyone! Quickly! Flee for your lives; abandon this thread. For the fleet fox fornicates frequently forever fresh."

 

[purplepolly]

Ruuuuuuun!

They're already here. Noooooooooooooooooooooo. I'm being attacked by an apostrophe.

 

[Bigtwin]

Ruuuuuuun!

They're already here. Noooooooooooooooooooooo. I'm being attacked by an apostrophe.

You may run, but you cannot hide....

 

[asterix]

I just tried searching for semi-colon in Google; they don't exist.

 

[Arch]

When typing, leave two spaces after a full stop or question mark.

I think that's more a publishing convention, and varies from publisher to publisher depending on house style. I use double spaces here, and in my academic writing, but not at work.

 

[nigelnorris]

I like the fact the Birmingham City Council have begun to abolish the apostrophe in its road signs.

It's the first step on the road to sanity if you ask me; get rid of a device with no useful function other than to cause distress to all those who think that it matters.

[AKA, ain't no crime if there ain't no law.]

 

[User482]

I like the fact the Birmingham City Council have begun to abolish the apostrophe in its road signs.

It's the first step on the road to sanity if you ask me; get rid of a device with no useful function other than to cause distress to all those who think that it matters.

[AKA, ain't no crime if there ain't no law.]

I can't help but notice that your post contains three apostrophes.

 

[Yellow Fang]

I don't understand the problem with apostrophes. They're not that difficult to get your head around. The correct use of commas is much more difficult. The main problem with apostrophes is that people want to use them where they don't belong as a guide to pronounciation. Lynne Truss in her book Eats Shoots and Leaves suggested using a ~ in place of an apostrophe for plurals that don't look like how they should be pronounced, such as pizzas or logos. All the same, possessive apostrophes probably don't serve much function. German gets by without them.

 

[nigelnorris]

I can't help but notice that your post contains three apostrophes.

I'm happy to follow the convention, it's how I was educated and is ingrained now. I do sometimes make mistakes though, the odd slip here or there. Which is why I'm so careful not to get all pedantic when I see grammar/spelling/punctuation misused in the work of others.

I'm not particularly po faced about it though, there's a Tapas restaurant up the road from me which opened with a 4 foot high sign above which simply read "Tapa's Bar". No it's not owned by Mr Tapa. Every time I see it I wonder how many people must have been in the chain that saw that sign thought of, made, fitted and so on?