In the UK region of North Yorkshire, local authorities have banned the use of apostrophe on street signs due to possible problems with digital databases and searches. Some residents oppose this innovation and add apostrophes to the new signs themselves.
Apostrophe ban
Reasons for government decision
North Yorkshire Council has announced that all new road signs will be produced without apostrophes outside depending on previous cases of their use. This decision was made due to the potential difficulties of searching digital databases, where punctuation marks such as apostrophes can cause problems.
Local reaction
Many people in the region, particularly Harrogate, are opposed to the repeal apostrophe on street signs. Some of them independently add apostrophes to new signs, ignoring the decision of the authorities. Among those dissatisfied with the innovation is former teacher Posti Sam, who is worried about the violation of grammatical norms on the signs.
Expert opinions
Dr Ellie Rye, Lecturer in English and Linguistics at the University of York , notes that the apostrophe is a relatively new invention in writing. In spoken language, she said, the absence of an apostrophe does not create ambiguity because the pronunciation is the same, whether it is a street name or an affiliation.
"Glossary"
- North Yorkshire is a historic county in the north of England.
- Harrogate is a town in North Yorkshire famous for its mineral springs.
- Posty Sam is a former teacher unhappy with the removal of the apostrophe on street signs.
- Ellie Rye is a PhD lecturer in English and linguistics at the University of York.
- BS7666 is a British standard governing the writing of addresses and street names.
"Links"
- BBC report on the reaction of North Yorkshire residents
- BBC publication about similar decisions of local authorities
Answers to questions
What was the reason for the ban on the use of apostrophe on street signs in North Yorkshire?
How do residents feel about the authorities' decision to abandon apostrophes?
Why is the apostrophe important in English?
What arguments are given in support of eliminating the apostrophe?
Why do the authorities refer to the experience of other regions of the UK?
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Discussion of the topic – North Yorkshire authorities ban apostrophes on road signs: end of an era for grammar?
Local authorities in the UK's North Yorkshire region have decided to ban the use of apostrophes on street signs due to problems with digital databases and information retrieval. This caused a mixed reaction among residents.
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