Re: FN-FORUM: help with grammar please

date posted 15th January 2004 15:04

Dom wrote:

>One step at a time.
>Children belonging to other people -> "other people's children".
>Faeces belonging to children -> "children's faeces".
>
>Hence: "other people's children's faeces".
>
>I'm not a grammar guru. I'm a grammar *fascist*.
>
>

It's the only way to be. Just reading through "Eats Shoots and Leaves"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1861976127/qid=1074178804/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_10_1/026-6412748-8601204

which is an (omigod!) amusing discussion of correct grammar and punctuation.

I think it's bad for business to spell or punctuate incorrectly. If
someone sends me a quotation or other document, it goes in the bin if it
contains too many errors. Why should I trust people with the delicate,
precise work of coding if they can't cope with the English language? Why
should they trust me, if I make those mistakes? [Scans repeatedly for
typoes, hits "send".]