On 4/24/2012 11:30 AM, Jay Lozier wrote:
Gary
On 04/24/2012 09:22 AM, Gary Schnabl wrote:
On 4/24/2012 4:35 AM, Peter Schofield wrote:
Hello Jay and Tom
The USA and UK are two countries separated by one language - English -
and the ne'er the twain shall meet ;-())))
Avoiding the use of the apostrophe is one thing we should consider.
It does help users whose mother tongue is not English because the
grammar rules for the apostrophe are difficult to understand with
the possessive apostrophe being the hardest. Comes from personal
experience of working in several non-English countries. Also, if you
work in the aviation industry and use Simplified English, the
apostrophe is definitely out.
Out of curiosity, just why is the apostrophe banned from the aviation
industry? Is its use a real risk to safety?
I have held an FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) Mechanic's certificate
since the 1980s and have been a licensed pilot since 1971 and was
unaware of any aviation dangers attributed to apostrophes--up to now.
Gary
My guess is that non-native speakers more easily could misunderstand
the contraction particularly when quickly scanning a document. The
only contraction I can think of is you're for you are vs your.
One typical classic is: they're, their, and there. In another sense,
there is: chord, cored, and cord.
Gary
An very common adage in safety is to make the instructions very clear
and precise and avoid any wording/phrasing/contractions/etc that could
cause confusion. This is especially important when there is a problem
and quick/accurate comprehension is critical.
I always enjoy discussions like this as it is a break from the
serious stuff.
Regards
Peter Schofield
[email protected]
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