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Doesn't matter. Sareitha Sedai Send a noteboard - 07/10/2011 03:12:14 PM
What, exactly, makes them "different sets" of words? Different genitive declensions? :P


It doesn't matter what makes them different; it doesn't even matter if the only thing that makes them different is the way they are made possessive. The rules are clear even if why they are rules (or should be) isn't. What is equally clear is that you are not following the rule(s), which means you are not only not right, but wrong.

If I convince a majority of the public and scholars to spell "fly" with "ie" when referring to the insect, is it a legitimate rule? ;)


Well, yes :P That's kind of the whole point. So until you convince the majority of the public and scholars to adopt your treatment of possessives, you'll remain wrong. Furthermore, your readers will have to spend extra time (negligible though it may be for each individual instance) deciding from context whether you mean a word to be plural, possessive, or whether you've simply made an error. And you'll give the appearance of someone who doesn't know how to write properly, which you're obviously fine with. ;)

If you are from Betelgeuse, please have one of your Earth friends read what I've written before you respond. Or try concentrating harder.

"The trophy problem has become extreme."
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Grammar junkies - 05/10/2011 06:46:31 PM 1101 Views
I'm not always sure that I'm correct, but.... - 05/10/2011 07:04:13 PM 796 Views
I didn't see any errors - 05/10/2011 07:24:27 PM 778 Views
Re: I didn't see any errors - 06/10/2011 03:14:07 PM 653 Views
You mean ... - 06/10/2011 03:58:32 PM 717 Views
Must ... have ... grammar. - 05/10/2011 07:53:34 PM 963 Views
For you and Tom as well, the same question about question eight. - 05/10/2011 08:33:39 PM 1235 Views
Tom can probably give you actual terms and correct rules, but here's my take on it. - 05/10/2011 08:43:47 PM 733 Views
That makes sense as far as it goes. - 05/10/2011 09:02:42 PM 771 Views
But do you actually regard them that way? - 05/10/2011 09:08:36 PM 770 Views
Yeah, pretty much. - 05/10/2011 09:25:18 PM 726 Views
Re: Yeah, pretty much. - 05/10/2011 09:29:33 PM 596 Views
OK then. - 05/10/2011 09:59:50 PM 768 Views
You bring up a point that I was researching the other day - 05/10/2011 08:53:40 PM 817 Views
You guys mean a hyphen, not a dash. - 05/10/2011 09:00:25 PM 750 Views
You're right of course! - 05/10/2011 09:13:44 PM 834 Views
I frequently am. - 05/10/2011 09:16:38 PM 837 Views
So I've noticed. - 05/10/2011 09:19:38 PM 742 Views
I like telling people, too. - 05/10/2011 09:34:50 PM 744 Views
You can use charmap. - 05/10/2011 10:21:32 PM 789 Views
Re: You guys mean a hyphen, not a dash. - 06/10/2011 01:15:02 PM 710 Views
Mmm, dashing. - 05/10/2011 09:02:53 PM 750 Views
Emdashing is an entirely different form of punctuation. - 05/10/2011 09:07:36 PM 797 Views
Achtung! Grammatik! :insert Nazi-saluting smiley as the Wehrmacht marches by: - 05/10/2011 08:10:45 PM 866 Views
I love this bit. - 05/10/2011 08:26:52 PM 859 Views
Bring back the BSG! - 05/10/2011 08:55:32 PM 772 Views
Re: your 2nd irritating error for question 2 - 06/10/2011 04:12:49 PM 726 Views
Good poll, especially for this site. - 05/10/2011 08:11:10 PM 866 Views
Re: serial comma. - 05/10/2011 08:31:58 PM 742 Views
Maybe I was being a little anal there. - 05/10/2011 08:35:33 PM 710 Views
Same here - 05/10/2011 08:43:34 PM 644 Views
I think it's conventional to use a comma before "etc". - 05/10/2011 08:55:11 PM 720 Views
Re: Grammar junkies - 05/10/2011 08:33:06 PM 758 Views
Re: Grammar junkies - 05/10/2011 08:49:43 PM 814 Views
People should talk in a way that can be understood, else they are not communicating. - 05/10/2011 09:17:37 PM 808 Views
Re: "everyone's". ~winky~ *NM* - 05/10/2011 09:22:18 PM 376 Views
Is it time for my lecture on superfluous apostrophes again? - 05/10/2011 09:43:47 PM 712 Views
You mean your lecture on "superfluous" apostrophes. - 05/10/2011 09:53:31 PM 667 Views
As have I. Multiple times. *NM* - 05/10/2011 09:55:08 PM 364 Views
I am not stubborn, just true to my convictions. - 05/10/2011 09:56:39 PM 915 Views
Unsurprisingly, I don't really agree with you at all on this point. :p - 05/10/2011 10:29:59 PM 793 Views
I do not really think I am "right" on this one so much as "not wrong." - 06/10/2011 12:01:36 AM 709 Views
But contradictions are inherent in the entire English language! - 06/10/2011 01:25:39 AM 716 Views
Sure, but not deliberate ones created by grammarians who know better. - 06/10/2011 05:40:58 AM 722 Views
I'm going to listen to the others. - 06/10/2011 06:17:18 AM 738 Views
Like I say, I appreciate exceptions when justified (and again, only claiming to be "not wrong." ) - 06/10/2011 07:26:18 AM 636 Views
But you are wrong - 06/10/2011 02:17:40 PM 761 Views
that is OK he is very good at being wrong *NM* - 06/10/2011 03:43:23 PM 395 Views
I disagree. - 07/10/2011 12:15:14 AM 707 Views
How utterly unsurprising - 07/10/2011 02:21:38 PM 660 Views
"We want to be nothing if not persistent." - 07/10/2011 02:39:19 PM 726 Views
Doesn't matter. - 07/10/2011 03:12:14 PM 751 Views
What. - 06/10/2011 06:17:41 PM 806 Views
You called? - 05/10/2011 08:53:54 PM 767 Views
Grammar schmammar! - 05/10/2011 09:01:47 PM 840 Views
Wongy tip #77 - 05/10/2011 11:15:12 PM 703 Views
#1) I do not use NetSpeak while playing games, texting or using social media. - 05/10/2011 11:34:12 PM 718 Views
What about NateSpeak? *NM* - 06/10/2011 04:01:08 PM 349 Views
I did use that once to tell the story of you and CNRedDragon going to see Ice Princess. *NM* - 07/10/2011 01:46:50 AM 352 Views
A timeless classic. - 07/10/2011 01:53:36 AM 685 Views
Re: Grammar junkies - 06/10/2011 01:17:28 AM 733 Views
Yes. - 06/10/2011 06:53:46 AM 672 Views
I forgot about "of" for "have." - 06/10/2011 07:31:11 AM 708 Views
I try - 06/10/2011 09:18:29 AM 768 Views
I freebase split infinitives on a regular basis. - 06/10/2011 01:53:36 PM 643 Views
The split infinitive is not grammatically incorrect. - 06/10/2011 02:04:34 PM 691 Views
I wish more people knew this. - 06/10/2011 07:38:46 PM 666 Views
Junky Grammar. - 06/10/2011 04:24:01 PM 661 Views

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