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| http://metro.co.uk/2009/01/29/birmingham-bans-apostrophes-from-road-signs-406036/ |
The top sign has an apostrophe (') between Paul and s. The bottom sign doesn't have the apostrophe.
Changes like these to signs are being made in cities in the UK. "Moving with the times" defenders would say.
"Dropping standards" and "dumbing down" the English language are claims being made by critics of the scheme.
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| http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/images/newsgraphics/2013/0808-tests/0808-tests.png |
An expert from Cambridge English
Language Assessment – provider of over 4 million English language exams each
year around the world – comments:
“Dumbing down the standard of
English is not the road we want to go down, but you have to put this decision
into context,” says Roger Johnson, Acting Chief Executive of Cambridge English
Language Assessment.
“Lots of people do struggle with using apostrophes, and it’s important that learners are taught how to use them correctly but removing apostrophes from street names in Cambridge is unlikely to have an effect on English learning standards worldwide. Interestingly, we tend to find that students learning English as a foreign language master the apostrophe remarkably well. This is also true of some other complicated grammar rules, which is really encouraging. I’d be much more concerned if there was a proposal to stop teaching grammar in classrooms around the world.”
“Lots of people do struggle with using apostrophes, and it’s important that learners are taught how to use them correctly but removing apostrophes from street names in Cambridge is unlikely to have an effect on English learning standards worldwide. Interestingly, we tend to find that students learning English as a foreign language master the apostrophe remarkably well. This is also true of some other complicated grammar rules, which is really encouraging. I’d be much more concerned if there was a proposal to stop teaching grammar in classrooms around the world.”
The apostrophe is a powerful punctuation mark that can have a huge impact on the meaning of a sentence. It was first introduced into English from French in the 16th Century and is used to indicate either possession or the omission of letters.
Where do we need apostrophes in this sentence?
Charlies dogs eating its bone because its very hungry and hasnt eaten anything today.
(The spellchecker as I'm writing this only picks up on two missing apostrophes - but there are 4 needed in their sentence!)
What do you think? I wonder how many times we actually think about the fact that a person lies behind the name of the street? I mean, if we see the signs below on a door, we know that Daniel, Nicholas and Suzie sleep in the room behind this door and we would no doubt think we have an idea as to how old they are, things they (don't) like, etc.
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| http://www.etsy.com/market/super_hero_boys |
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| http://decalpitstop.com/ca/daniel_room2.jpg |
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| http://www.etsy.com/es/listing/107862295/dormitorio-puerta-signo-bebe-guarderia |
But most of the time, if we see
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| http://vipticketsandcorporatehospitality.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Lords.jpg |
we do not think about the person (Thomas Lord) (or newspaper in the first case) behind the name.
And I wonder what changes will appear if the guidelines on street signs are carried out to the end:
Will this mean that Leicester Square, Marylebone Station, Greenwich Park and Tottenham Road will disappear????
The naming policy also bans street names which would be "difficult to pronounce or awkward to spell"
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