The New Auto-Correct
For many years, I chewed on the idea that there was a kind of current usage of English language, and I thought of it as “Microsoft Word English.”
Hated it. It wasn’t always grammatically correct, not in the version I had used, and I prefer a real, live grammar checker person, a Grammar Goddess, the copy-editor deluxe
I miss working with a Virgo editor. I miss that Virgo copy-editing.
“Microsoft Word English” is the new grammar standard, only, now?
The New Auto-Correct
Microsoft Word English (and grammar) is being replaced with iOS “suggestions.”
However, owing to the current workflow pattern I’ve got, I do up to a third of my work, maybe more, on various iPad and iPad-like devices. They all have The New Auto-Correct, and it can be insolent at times.
To paraphrase?
“Auto-correct is the enema!”
How should the heading actually be displayed?
Aquarius
Aquarius’s
Aquarius’
One is singular, one is singular possessive, and one is plural possessive. To be fair, most Aquarius’s tend to be not very possessive, but this is the grammatical term, indicating ownership of the object, not about the people.
Gemini
Gemini’s
Geminis’
When writing in the old MS Word, but even now, in iOS, as grammatically incorrect but stylistically designated as proper usage? The name for the sign is made singular possessive when it really should be plural.
The New Auto-Correct
Over the years, I’ve wrestled with the style, and when I was submitting for publication, the unofficial style manual called for MS Word grammar.
On any given Tuesday, I will correct then un-correct, then redo what I just undid, since I bow to no specified editorial deity.
No internal style sheet.
While I keep a copy of The New York Times Manual of Style on hand, I rarely reference it anymore. I like my style, with the exception of the iOS auto-correct. Yes, I can turn it off, but I like some of what it does. To be fair, most of its corrections are egregious typographical errors on my part. It isn’t my use of language that is suspect, it’s the keyboard.
The New Auto-Correct
There are times, given my current work load, when it feels like the rough draft is the version that gets posted. I’ll shrug; it happens.
Libra (singular)
Libras (plural)
Libra’s (singular possessive)
Do we bow our will — our lives — and how we communicate to the new overlords who all live in the machines?
What’s past is prologue
It is incumbent upon each and every one of us to fight back: spell correctly. In other ways of saying this?
Use grammar properly.
Or?
