Editing and mistakes

[aichambaye at yahoo.com]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer 
<pennylin at s...> wrote:
> Hi --
> 
> I'm on a roll with this OT-Chatter group today!  Stranger 
things ....
> 
> pbnesbit at m... wrote:
> 
> > Well, I'm not Amanda, but I *did* run a business for a while 
where I
> > did copy editing.  I've found the same thing and I'll even add 
one--
> > the use of it's for its.  The former English professor in me 
wants to
> > take a red pen to those fanfics!!
> 
> That's a huge pet peeve of mine too, Parker!  The rule I remember 
from
> elementary school is so simple that I find it strange that people 
make
> these contraction mistakes (if you read the sentence & you can 
replace
> its with "it is" than you need the apostrophe; if it makes no sense 
to
> replace it with "it is," then you don't!).  "The clock chimed its 
bells
> on the half-hour."  "It's time for bed, Johnny!"
> 

That's one of my biggest pet peaves (heh heh) too. The one that 
really riles me is incorrect use of the possessive. I HATE to see a 
mailbox labled: The Smith's. The Smith's what? that means ONE SMITH 
who OWNS SOMETHING. It does not denote MORE THAN ONE SMITH. Argh! My 
students get big points taken off for that.

Heather M., grammar police