topic Re: QI and apostrophes in Community Spirit

QI and apostrophes

rabbitearbandicoot — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 01:29:59 GMT

did anyone watch the QI episode where they discussed Apostrophes and their use??

I missed it but a friend tells me I have been using apostrophes wrongly.

as in "Bill's Car" - the car that belongs to Bill should be "Bills' car".

Re: QI and apostrophes

katydidthat — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 01:45:50 GMT

Bill's car is correct.

The apostrophe is used for two reasons: belonging and to replace a missing letter.

So, with belonging, it is Jane's toy, or Fred's shoe.

With missing letters, it is becomes it's, they are becomes they're, you are becomes you're.

Re: QI and apostrophes

rabbitearbandicoot — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 01:55:02 GMT

thanks katy, that's what I have thought since school but evidently, Steven Fry on QI says that's wrong. I watch the show usually and he seems to know all the answers, but in this case I think he's wrong - ie Steven's answer is wrong.

But he (Steven) insists that, although everyone thinks it is correct, spell checkers etc - they are all wrong.

unless, of course, the friend I spoke with (with whom I spoke) this morning has misinterpreted Steven's answer.

Re: QI and apostrophes

j*oono — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 02:15:34 GMT

I'm sure it is Bill's car.

It would be different if the car belonged to your parents. If it belonged to one parent it would be your parent's car, but if it belonged to both parents it would be your parents' car.

Re: QI and apostrophes

bright.ton42 — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 02:19:32 GMT

I think the apostrophe should be deleted from the English grammar, it's so unnecessary. If I'd written

"its so unnecessary" we would still know the meaning.

Re: QI and apostrophes

the_great_she_elephant — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 02:26:54 GMT

If the ownership refers to more than one person then the apostrophe goes after the plural s. e.g' The Browns' house, the musicians' instruments. I fit refers to a single person and the s is added simply to denote ownership then the apostrophe goes between the word and the added s e.g. Mr Brown's house, the musician's instruments.

If the name of the person (or object) involved ends in an s we sometimes cheat a bit and stick the apostrophe after the s, e.g. James' book - but strictly speaking it should still be James's book

it's a throwback to Old English where the genetive case (denoting belonging) was formed by adding an es ending (inflection) to a noun, e.g. þæs cyninges scip (the king's ship) - cyning = king. In modern English we have dropped the e - hence the apostrophe.

Re: QI and apostrophes

harley_babes_hoard — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 02:27:18 GMT

http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/apostro.asp

Re: QI and apostrophes

imastawka — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 02:28:50 GMT

Joono is right.

Stephen is never wrong when it comes the English language.

I think your friend has misinterpreted. It is Bill's car. It belongs to Bill.

Re: QI and apostrophes

j*oono — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 02:31:46 GMT

She_el, thanks for that because I often wonder about the apostrophe when the persons name ends with an s. I think I will stick to James' book because James's book looks dumb.

Re: QI and apostrophes

the_great_she_elephant — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 02:39:32 GMT

Thanks, Stawka - that explains it far more entertainingly than I did.

Re: QI and apostrophes

polksaladallie — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 02:46:32 GMT

But if the car belonged to the second in line to the British throne, it would be Wills' car.

Re: QI and apostrophes

cq_tech — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 02:59:23 GMT

What gives you that idea? It doesn't matter if he's the heir to the throne or the local greengrocer, if his name is Will (which it is) and he owns the car, it has to be called Will's car. QED.

Re: QI and apostrophes

j*oono — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 03:03:50 GMT

He is actually known as Wills, CQ. Not Will.

Re: QI and apostrophes

polksaladallie — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 03:04:24 GMT

@cq_tech wrote:
What gives you that idea? It doesn't matter if he's the heir to the throne or the local greengrocer, if his name is Will (which it is) and he owns the car, it has to be called Will's car. QED.

No. His nickname is Wills, not Will. QED.

Re: QI and apostrophes

cq_tech — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 03:07:41 GMT

Is that right? How on earth did I not know that? LOL.

In that case, you are quite right, polks. My apologies. 🙂

Re: QI and apostrophes

j*oono — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 03:08:37 GMT

I have another question. What does QED actually mean in English? I don't get it.

Re: QI and apostrophes

polksaladallie — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 03:16:20 GMT

Re: QI and apostrophes

polksaladallie — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 03:19:16 GMT

quod erat demonstrandum meaning "which had to be demonstrated" The abbreviation thus signals the completion of the proof.

I C'd and P'd this.

Re: QI and apostrophes

j*oono — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 03:24:48 GMT

Everytime I see it I have to run to google. So it just means 'as demonstrated'.

Re: QI and apostrophes

the_great_she_elephant — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 03:24:57 GMT

If we want to be pedantic, it should strictly speaking be "Wills's car." Unless of course we are referencing the royal "WE"