Viewing 30 posts - 1 through 30 (of 30 total)
  • Another grammar question.
  • juan
    Free Member

    Is the following correct?
    System administrator of the Prof Essex’ group
    or should I use
    System administrator of the Prof Essex’s group

    I would go for the latter but I'd rather double check.

    Cheers

    Three_Fish
    Free Member

    The first one doesn't mean anything. Even with the "'s" in the second line, it's a rather poor sentence. Is 'Prof' an abbreviation? Would 'system administrator for the… group' not be better?

    sc-xc
    Full Member

    System administrator for David Essex's group sex parties

    juan
    Free Member

    Good point. Prof is the abbreviation of Professor. I like the for better than the of
    Cheers 😀

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    later apostrophe only is when the word ends on s because it is a plural

    however with names ending in s [smiths jones etc] either use is acceptable

    Bez
    Full Member

    You only drop the possessive 's' for a plural that ends in 's'. Viz the following sentence: Tom Jones's voice pleases Essex's ladies' ears, but babies' and children's voices do not.

    Three_Fish
    Free Member

    An abbreviation needs a period, so the sentence, as I understand it, should read:

    System administrator for Prof. Essex's group.

    mastiles_fanylion
    Free Member

    Beat me to it fish

    Bez
    Full Member

    Plenty of written style guides omit the full stop(s) from abbreviations these days, especially salutations.

    boblo
    Free Member

    Period? WTF is a period? Americanisms <sigh> thread merge or what..?

    Three_Fish
    Free Member

    It's not an Americanism at all. The term period means a mark of finality; hence it is used to mark an abbreviation so that he reader knows that a term is complete and not inadvertently missing any letters. Americans use the term period, deliberately referring to it, to emphasise the finality of the point that they are making – in the same way that somebody might say "…. end of story". So the use of the word period in that way at the end of sentence may be considered an Americanism; but the term itself is perfectly normal in English, even if it doesn't form part of your own vocabulary.

    ernie_lynch
    Free Member

    I know I probably didn't pay quite as much attention as maybe I should have at school, but never once do I recall a full stop being referred to as a period.

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    3 fish speaks the truth. Full stop or period is UK english though it is more associated with US English it is perfectly correct usage esp in grammar.

    ernie_lynch
    Free Member

    Being correct isn't the same as being acceptable.

    If a Frenchman asked me what the English for poubelle was I would answer "dustbin" not "garbage can".

    boblo is correct imo, there is no reason to use the term period when there is a perfectly acceptable and universally used British term.

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    perfectly acceptable and universally used British term.

    you are just seeing american exapnsionist Imperilaism in grammar now 😉 It is a perfectly acceptable British term in grammar.
    As an aside can you be correct and unacceptable in grammar?

    donsimon
    Free Member

    It is a perfectly acceptable British term in grammar.

    I will have to disagree, full stop BrE, period AmE. I can't find anything that says otherwise.

    As an aside can you be correct and unacceptable in grammar?

    Splitting the infinitive?

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    nice suggestion like it
    http://www.examples-help.org.uk/punctuation/period.htm
    uk web address and on internet must be true 😉

    samuri
    Free Member

    A period is something girls do.
    System administrator of the Prof Essex’ group
    or should I use
    System administrator of the Prof Essex’s group

    You should use 'System administrator of Prof. Essex's group.'

    ernie_lynch
    Free Member

    From your link Junkyard :

    "Referred to as a Full Stop in the U.K."[/b]

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    unlike you ernie I will admit an error

    ernie_lynch
    Free Member

    I'm happy to admit to an error.

    What error do you want me to admit to ?

    DrJ
    Full Member

    Plenty of written style guides omit the full stop(s) from abbreviations these days, especially salutations.

    AIUI you use a full stop when there is a bit missing at the end, so – Prof.

    But not when there is no bit missing at the end, so – Mr

    stilltortoise
    Free Member

    Being correct isn't the same as being acceptable.

    If a Frenchman asked me what the English for poubelle was I would answer "dustbin" not "garbage can".

    boblo is correct imo, there is no reason to use the term period when there is a perfectly acceptable and universally used British term

    Does this really bother you ernie, or are you just trolling? 😕

    ernie_lynch
    Free Member

    Does this really bother you ernie, or are you just trolling?

    No it doesn't really bother me, and no I'm not trolling either.

    I just happen to think boblo's comment was valid. Add to that the fact juan is trying to get his head round the eccentricities of the English language, I don't think it helps to complicate matters for him by using American terms quite unnecessarily.

    Personally I can't understand why all the fuss caused by pointing out that in Britain the term "full stop" is used
    …….but there you go, eh

    donsimon
    Free Member

    Junkyard – Member

    nice suggestion like it
    http://www.examples-help.org.uk/punctuation/period.htm
    uk web address and on internet must be true

    But a little reading pulls up "analyzing" suggesting the page is written by an American. 😉

    Spongebob
    Free Member

    Ok, correct the grammar here:

    Lots of people posting on this STW thread are just being pedantic farquhars

    donsimon
    Free Member

    Lots ofSome people posting on this STW thread are just being pedantic farquhars having fun

    Sorted 🙄

    Spongebob
    Free Member

    Smartass! 😆

    donsimon
    Free Member

    Yup!

    Three_Fish
    Free Member

    Personally I can't understand why all the fuss caused by pointing out that in Britain the term "full stop" is used.

    I was in Britain when I used the term period; therefore, in Britain both terms are used.

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