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Thursday 21 May 2015

Apostrophes: another rant

Yes, yes, I know the rules for using apostrophes are simple - apart from the rule for it's/its, which you can understand from a pragmatic point of view - but why is won't not spelt wo'n't?

Huh?

Just tell me that if you're so clever!


Word To Use Today: won't. This word is, obviously, short for will not

I suspect that ca'n't should really have two apostrophes, too - though I sha'n't be starting a campaign to get them introduced.

6 comments:

  1. Apostrophe's cause such difficulty for even the most carefulest of writer's, I really don't think you should be suggesting we go adding even more of them to word's.

    As for me, I'm brilliant at apostrophe's : o )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry, Eddie. You have a point. But I just couldn't resist apostrophising.

      Delete
  2. I've always thought there should not be an apostrophe in wont. Exactly which word with an O in it was before the omitted letter(s)?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Actually, now I come to think about it...blast! You're right, aren't you.
      Perhaps there's some obscure bit of Old English I can rake up to prove myself right...nope. Don't think so.

      Could I re-write the post with do'n't, do you think, because of the missing space?

      Delete
    2. Hyphens replace missing spaces - that would be do-n't. You could always have sha''n't !

      Delete
    3. Ca'n't works, as long as it's the first n that's missing and not the second. Which, by analogy, it probably is..,
      ...still, there's nothing like a good fuss about nothing, is-n't there.

      Delete

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