fkrock wrote: " Others may have accendentially pushed the send button..." My computer's spell check feature underlined what should have been spelled as " accidentally ". Of course, spell check also underlines the word " Amtrak ",due to the lack of a 'C', as well as "Puyallup" & "Sequim" . This is why I keep a copy of Webster's Dictionary of the English Language handy. Regarding the use of the apostrophe in writing, I was always taught that an apostrophe in the middle of a word takes the place of a letter;i.e.: "it's" versus "it is". Webster's defines "apostrophe" as:" a punctuation mark(') marking the omission of a letter or letters, the possessive case, or the plural of letters,e.g. can't (cannot ), men's ( of men )... " Of course Webster's also defines apostrophe as: " a break in writing or speaking in order to address a remark or an exclamation to an imagined person or thing or idea,..."
I was fortunate to have several knowledgeable English teachers during my time in the Orange Unified School District. The best of these, Mrs. Vogelsang, was actually a Dutch immigrate who had learned proper English, without the slang we natives so often incorporate into our everyday speech & writings. Her pet peeve was the use of the words "get" & "got". Her opinion was that any time you use the word "get" or "got', you can use a more descriptive & accurate word instead. Try it & you will find she was right.