General Chat

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Boards

Quick Search

Single word search

Tools

Findmypast DNA Banner

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

spelling:-))))

Login to Add Reply Watch This
ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Sprack

Sprack Report 9 Aug 2004 19:21

can someone who has a higher inteligance than me tell me the correct way to shorten words such as I will, they will and I am because it always looks wrong when I write it down and I end up deleting it and putting something else lol. thanks in advance. jenny

Daniel

Daniel Report 9 Aug 2004 19:23

I'll, They'll, I'm

Sandra

Sandra Report 9 Aug 2004 19:26

HI JENNY don't put yourself down, spelling is difficult for alot of people, i sometimes struggle as it doesn't look right. sandra

Sprack

Sprack Report 9 Aug 2004 19:32

thanks daniel.

Geoff

Geoff Report 9 Aug 2004 19:34

You put the aposthrophe in where you have left the letters out - so it's haven't, couldn't, didn't, she'll, they'll etc.

Sprack

Sprack Report 9 Aug 2004 19:46

thanks geoff what about I have?

Daniel

Daniel Report 9 Aug 2004 19:47

I've

Len of the Chilterns

Len of the Chilterns Report 9 Aug 2004 21:43

If in doubt do not abbreviate as it is no more trouble to write "do not" instead of "don't". If you count the characters in each variation, including the apostrophe, there are five - so all you will have saved by the abbreviation is the space and you will have spent a lot of extra energy wondering if you got the abbreviation right. If you get it wrong, as so many of us do, it confuses the reader who may misunderstand your message. Spelling has nothing to do with general intelligence. Len

Sprack

Sprack Report 9 Aug 2004 22:10

hi len you are right it is easier to write the whole word but it sounds too formal sometimes. jenny

Sprack

Sprack Report 9 Aug 2004 22:36

another question is which words do you put the apostrophy before the s to make them plural ie photos or photo's?. jenny

Daniel

Daniel Report 9 Aug 2004 22:40

the pocessive apostophe is for when it's owned by someobody. Example. It is mine - It's mine

Daniel

Daniel Report 9 Aug 2004 22:43

she says :-)

Sprack

Sprack Report 9 Aug 2004 22:49

jude I'll email you some chocolate for that answer lol, my dad is always doing that to me and I'm 57 lol. jenny

Jan

Jan Report 10 Aug 2004 00:17

Most of the time in English we add 's' to make plurals - cats, tables, girls etc. No apostrophe! So when you see 'carrot's 50p' or 'potatoe's' on signs, that's overuse! The only time you need an apostrophe with plurals ending in 's' is when you want to show who something belongs to. Look at these two sentences: 1) The toys belonging to the boy are broken. 2) The toys belonging to the boys are broken. You've got the 's' on the end in (2) so you know it's plural. If I change the sentences to: 1) The boys toys are broken. 2) The boys toys are broken. the only way I can be sure my reader gets the right message is to use the apostrophe BEFORE the 's' when it's one boy The boy's toys are broken. and AFTER the 's' when it's more than one. The boys' toys are broken. 2) The toys belonging to the boys are broken. Oh dear, that sounds very teacher-ish - but I hope you get the idea.