Maree’s musings

It’s PUNCTUATION PERIL: CONFUSING COMMAS, and the APOSTROPHE’S PLACE.

A question to mark: do you have fond memories of learning the confusing convolutions of English punctuation? You may recall prepositions, (a)’postrophes (sorry, couldn’t resist!), and propositions for placing punctuation marks in proper positions. ‘It’s in its proper place, isn’t it?’ you probably pondered.

Consider the comma. Or when it’s in its promoted position, the apostrophe. Positioning these little (pen)pricks pose premonitions of possible peril.
A familiar three-word sentence illustrates this. “Lets eat Grandma.” It’s got a problem or two. But positioning a comma (and an apostrophe) prevents any probable confusing conclusion (and saves Granny’s bacon!) When it – the comma, that is – is in its proper position, it’s an easy one. Here it is in all its correctness: “Let’s eat, Grandma.” Much better for everyone concerned.
Here’s another example. It’s probably much more of a poser, in that it needs plenty of commas, a couple of full stops and two or three capital letters.

Read carefully:
‘that that is is that that is not is not that that is is not that that is not and that that is not is not that that is’
If your head isn’t hurting by now, let’s further complicate its confusion by positioning a couple of apostrophes in it as well.
[*NOTE: Both problems’ solutions positioned at the end of the page. That’s a relief!]
Here’s a third one I’ve done for you already, but don’t you know it, with more apostrophes but fewer commas!
‘You don’t know what you don’t know until you do know, and then you know what you don’t know, but don’t know what you do know until you do.’ Do you agree, or don’t you? Or don’t you know if you do or don’t?

That apostrophe! It’s its own worst enemy. It’s the punctuation’s nightmare, as it’s already illustrated above. Necessary, however; to indicate possession or something missing [which could be your clear thinking, by now!] Maree’s Musings – yes, they’re hers (but not her’s) alright. His & hers – and its and yours and ours – are proud owners all by themselves.
Shops sometimes have apostrophes ‘on special’ or perhaps ‘special’s’. Think “local new potatoe’s (only one?) for sale” … or “avocado’s – two dollars”. An avocado’s a treat at any price, that’s for sure! Of course, maybe it’s – like the poet’s – “shopkeepers’ licence”?

*Solution to the comma conundrum: ‘That that is, is. That that is not, is not. That that is, is not that that is not, and that that is not, is not that that is.’
And with apostrophes: ‘That that is, is. That that isn’t, is not. That that is, isn’t that that isn’t, and that that isn’t, isn’t that that is.’ That’s the truth, isn’t it!!

And for sanity’s [?] sake; a poetic political postscript [it’s November, so it’s needed]:

‘Will the Trump be trumps, or will
Ms Clinton clinch the deals?
We’ll remember forever
the eighth of November, for
the answer it reveals.’