Meet The 'grammar Vigilante' Of Bristol

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/video_and_audio/headlines/39459831

I rather like this man !

[murraymints]

just watched this on the BEEB ..good man !

[aelmpvw]

//its important that people should know the correct form of English//
quote from mikey on a previous thread
I find missing apostrophes just as annoying mikey. :-)

[waterboatman]

Just been watching that. I like it! :o}

[waterboatman]

It just shows how the standard of English has declined. Sad, isn't it. What do English teachers teach?

[ummmm]

Not really Boaty. One of the signs he corrected had been there for 30 years!

[Cloverjo]

I like him too, Mikey.
My family is getting fed up with me shouting out 'Apostrophe!' and pointing out of the car window or across the street.

One of the worst I saw was a sign on a shop saying " We are close'd ""

[Cloverjo]

I don't think it's just a recent thing, boaty. I have to refrain myself from correcting my dad's use of apostrophes.

[fiction-factory]

I think English teachers teach with the GCSE in mind. Rightly or wrongly a few missing/errant apostrophes won't make much difference to your marks- the exam is much more about using linguistic devices, writing creatively, writing to persuade, comprehension, and analysis of poems, Shakespeare plays and stories.

I am an apostrophe pedant although I can see that the meaning is usually clear regardless of the apostrophe (we understand a speaker where the apostrophe is silent). I have been known to correct them on chalkboard menus in restaurants.

[mikey4444]

I hate those Greengrocers apostrophes.......apple's, pear's etc....drives me mad 1

[waterboatman]

Yes. I know. Got you talking though, didn't it! ;o}

[murraymints]

shepards pie !! GGRRR ....menus are the worst ! spelling police need to patrol....and Hollyrood..it's Holyrood ! there..their...your..you're....were..where....lose...loose......DOUBLE GRRRR !

[waterboatman]

They always annoy me too.

[mikey4444]

What I don't understand about this bloke is how he is getting away with traipsing around the streets at night, carrying all that kit.....just shows how invisible the thin blue line is !

[fiction-factory]

Banksy has got away with a lot more for years mikey- does no-one notice a man with loads of spray cans and ladders

[Old_Geezer]

Bully for him, long may he continue. Of course he needs to double check he isn't about to make an error each time. Hope he adds road names and the like to his repertoire too.

[mikey4444]

In Bristol, Banksy appears to be viewed as some kind of modern Robin Hood, so Im not in any way surprised that he hasn't been apprehended !

[Old_Geezer]

Their own fault, Minty, that they spell it Holy yet seem to pronounce it Holly.

[fiction-factory]

I always correct apostrophes at school but too many kids just don't understand what they signify. When I write a plural such as Graphs and Chart on the board half of them will 'correct' my English by writing "Graph's and chart's".

One reason must be that they are much more likely to read unpunctuated texts and Facebook posts than books and magazines. I wouldn't be surprised if apostrophes die out over the next 50 years.

[Old_Geezer]

Im ???

[ummmm]

I was going to say if people get annoyed by it they need to stay away from facebook.