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Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Pet Peeve


My youngest and I were in Mackinaw City recently and I noticed this business in the Mackinaw Crossings Mall. When I saw their signs, my heart sank. Not because I have a personal problem with psychics, tarot cards, or mysticism, but because I have an issue with people who don't have their signage proofread.

 

 Here's a close up of the windows:

I suppose it is possible that the owner did have the design proofread first, and the proofreader missed it. Either way, correctly using an apostrophe to form a possessive is introduced in second grade, revisited in third grade, and then should be mastered. Third grade!

Common Core State Standards
English Language Arts
Second Grade
(CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.2.C)
Use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives.

Common Core State Standards
English Language Arts
Third Grade
(CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2D)
Form and use possessives. 

So many adults make this mistake and I know it is taught and reviewed repeatedly. (Well, I know it is reviewed repeatedly in my school.) OK, I get it, people make mistakes, I do too; trust me - I do.

Here's a few more from around town:

The problem isn't with "Jose's." That is correct - Smokey Jose owns the place, so it should be possessive. But, what does the taco own? It should just be "tacos" plural (as in more than one taco,) instead of "taco's" possessive (as in the taco owns something,) or "taco's" contraction (as in "My taco's too hot!") That last one would be considered slang, but it would be OK in quoted dialogue. 

This one's not too bad:


Mary's and Michigan's are correct, but what do the HGTVs own? 

This one needs some serious help:


I see these errors everywhere!

When I find signs like these around town, I usually take pictures so I can show my students at school. We play "Spot the Mistake" since they are fifth and sixth graders and should be able to find them.

How about you? Do you have a pet peeve? (I hope it isn't people who silently correct the grammar of others!)



3 comments:

  1. This makes me crazy and I've been living with it for 37 years! My MIL only uses {'s} to make plurals for everything she can. Her spelling is atrocious and her texts are illegible. My DH does sometimes and I proofread everything he sends out to avoid his making embarrassing mistakes. I used to proofread for her when she worked for the family company but it was horrible. Just signing a card is enough to make me cringe, she adds apostrophes to names. It's awful!

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  2. I must be old but I was also taught that objects cannot take the possessive. lol My kids were thrilled to go back to school where the teachers don't make them correct each and every error on their homework. Complete sentences are the rule. My pet peeve is the phrase I seen. I find myself correcting the speaker, "do you mean I have seen or do you mean I saw?" It drives me crazy!

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