plain english ASIA

When I get a manuscript or see a sign that misuses its and it’s and quotes, I immediately assume that the person who created it is stupid.

I understand that this is a mistake on my part. They’re not necessarily totally stupid, they’re just stupid about apostrophes.

It’s a moral failing on my part to conflate the two, but I bet I’m not the only one. What else are your customers judging you on?

It’s not just about being a grammar stickler. The fact is, we’re constantly looking for clues and telling ourselves stories based on limited information. It shouldn’t matter, but it does.

Lynn Truss, author of  ‘Eats, Shoots & Leaves: A zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation’ says:

Getting your itses mixed up is the greatest solecism in the world of punctuation. No matter that you have a PhD and have read all of Henry James twice. If you still persist in writing, “Good food at it’s best”, you deserve to struck by lightning, hacked up on the spot and buried in an unmarked grave.

Harsh words indeed, but she gets the point across. So, remember – don’t be stupid – or appear stupid (and unprofessional). Get your apostrophe’s right!!