Okay, I get it. You were taught a set of rules. You memorized them, learned mnemonics for them, were graded on them and lost points because who can reasonably be expected to keep track of that many commas Mrs. Johnson??
So I get that punctuation can feel pretty important, especially to anyone who had to take (and pass) composition and grammar classes at the university level. Your degree was in aircraft design, but you were expected to write well anyway. Writing quality is the lowest common denominator for any college degree, and you passed those classes, dang it. You earned the right to call people out when they misuse punctuation.
*sigh*
As someone who actually went on beyond the lowest common denominator and got a degree utterly reliant on the mechanics of the English language, I want you to, please, just relax. Because here's the thing. Every part of English, every part of it, is culturally informed. Punctuation included. As long as the communication is clear for its intended audience, meaning is preserved and the communication, no matter what form it takes, is "correct."
That hurts. I know. I've been there.
What I just wrote there probably made a subset of you mad. "You can't take the apostrophe out of there" I can hear you shouting, "It indicates a contraction! Without it you have plural 'let' and that doesn't make any sense!"
First, say it, don't spray it (ooooooooh!). Second, you're right! Technically, removing the apostrophe turns the added 's' from a contracted 'us' to an indication of plurality. But if you come across the word 'lets' in your reading, do you honestly think "plural let? 'Da heck is that supposed to mean?"
No. No you don't. You think "that person left off an apostrophe!" and get all upset for no reason. The meaning is clear, and so while it may not technically be correct to leave out the mark, it's also not strictly necessary for it to be there. This sort of thing is coming into more and more common use, especially on the internet, and it's exactly how languages change over time. For instance, typing "lets" doesn't even flag the spell-check on my computer.
So whenever you find yourself getting irrationally angry over the way someone is using punctuation online, just ask yourself "did I have any trouble understanding what they meant?" If the answer to that question is "no", then the correct response is to shrug and get over it.
After all, language isn't math. It isn't a science. It's culturally based and changes all the time. This includes punctuation, and getting worked up over changes to something that is designed to change will make you frustrated all the time, and eventually you'll be unhappy and just wrong.
So please. Chill.
And if you're trying to use punctuation as counterpoint to someone's argument in a disagreement, may I inform you that punctuation use is a terrible supporting argument, is almost certainly non-incidental to the topic at hand, and says far more about your lack of intelligence or ability than it does about theirs.
So I get that punctuation can feel pretty important, especially to anyone who had to take (and pass) composition and grammar classes at the university level. Your degree was in aircraft design, but you were expected to write well anyway. Writing quality is the lowest common denominator for any college degree, and you passed those classes, dang it. You earned the right to call people out when they misuse punctuation.
*sigh*
As someone who actually went on beyond the lowest common denominator and got a degree utterly reliant on the mechanics of the English language, I want you to, please, just relax. Because here's the thing. Every part of English, every part of it, is culturally informed. Punctuation included. As long as the communication is clear for its intended audience, meaning is preserved and the communication, no matter what form it takes, is "correct."
That hurts. I know. I've been there.
 |
| Yes, I'm aware. In this case punctuation of some sort is needed for clarity. But it's not justification for your ire, because I can leave the apostrophe and period out of that sentence entirely and it's still perfectly clear. |
First, say it, don't spray it (ooooooooh!). Second, you're right! Technically, removing the apostrophe turns the added 's' from a contracted 'us' to an indication of plurality. But if you come across the word 'lets' in your reading, do you honestly think "plural let? 'Da heck is that supposed to mean?"
No. No you don't. You think "that person left off an apostrophe!" and get all upset for no reason. The meaning is clear, and so while it may not technically be correct to leave out the mark, it's also not strictly necessary for it to be there. This sort of thing is coming into more and more common use, especially on the internet, and it's exactly how languages change over time. For instance, typing "lets" doesn't even flag the spell-check on my computer.
So whenever you find yourself getting irrationally angry over the way someone is using punctuation online, just ask yourself "did I have any trouble understanding what they meant?" If the answer to that question is "no", then the correct response is to shrug and get over it.
After all, language isn't math. It isn't a science. It's culturally based and changes all the time. This includes punctuation, and getting worked up over changes to something that is designed to change will make you frustrated all the time, and eventually you'll be unhappy and just wrong.
So please. Chill.
And if you're trying to use punctuation as counterpoint to someone's argument in a disagreement, may I inform you that punctuation use is a terrible supporting argument, is almost certainly non-incidental to the topic at hand, and says far more about your lack of intelligence or ability than it does about theirs.
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