Hi, James!  Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

AH>  Hi again, James!  Much cheered by the thought that you
AH>  probably didn't notice the errors in my last message,
AH>  I shall continue bravely on the same path:

JB>  Who... Wa... Me?


          "For this relief, much thanks!" [Wm. Shakespeare]....  :-))



AH>  Hmm.  At least it's not something like "King Charles's
AH>  head", i.e. a recurrent & irrational obsession, from a
AH>  novel by Charles Dickens... [grin].

JB>  But we also have a Dickens' Pub.


          I gather that's correct in American English.  In British English
it's "Dickens's", but the "s" would *not* be added with
certain other names....  :-)



AH>  ... but what did I say about decisions based on fear?
AH>  One of the best *and* worst features of English, IMHO,
AH>  is its hybrid vigour....  :-))

JB>  Ah... "Don't let beer and common sense stop you?" I
JB>  mean "fear".


          Perhaps I should have said something like "anxiety". 
Fear is healthy & appropriate in its place, as is common sense! 
Okay... so what do you have to lose??  Confusion is a stage in learning,
and I've yet to meet a person who has had to go to the emergency ward as a
result of dangling a participle... [grin].



JB>  A persons' name identifies them *properly,* as a noun?


          Hey, good mnemonic!  I hadn't seen that one before.  Because
"person" is singular in the above context, however, I'd say
"person's"....  :-)



JB>  Ah, shoot. My head hurts. Can I go to the washroom?


          "Please, Sir, my brain is too full!"  This comment was
allegedly made by the student of a friend, and it has become one of our
family jokes....  :-))



AH>  ... possessive pronouns don't use the apostrophe.

JB>  What apostrophy?


          Apostrophe.  It comes from a Greek word meaning "omission
mark".  The spelling might be easier for you to remember if you think
of "calliope"... i.e. a musical instrument.  When I was young
& foolish, I thought it might be rather fun to study ancient Greek.  I
hadn't planned on learning medical terms such as
"thrombocytopenia".  Be careful what you wish for.  You just
might get it.  ;-)



JB>  I know it's not a tilde, but there is a name to the
JB>  thing. I heard it once. It's likely a Spanish word.


          Huh??  You lost me there.  Are you thinking of the
"schwa", the sound some people make between /r/ and /l/ in
"Charles" (for example) when they can't get from one to the other
without inserting a vowel?  Another Greek word.  :-))



JB>  Neither does Charles. I just know that "e" isn't there
JB>  to augment the "a"! Two vowels... My head hurts. 


          Okay, you're on the right track!  Hang in there....  :-)



JB>  Teacher, can I go to the washroom? I REALLY gotta go!


          Sure, whatever.  I'll do a bit more research in your absence....  :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+