Appoint more umpires - Sheperd

[Richard]

Hi Richard, completely OT here but I just noticed the grammatical error in your signature, and was quite shocked by it. Very uncharacteristic. I wouldn't normally point these things out, but well, it was bugging me, and it's part of my job (ie at work, not at CW) to prevent such errors. As such, I kindly request that you remove the apostrophe.

Why?

The apostrophe is possessive (a la Geraint's glove) and as such AFAIA it should be in there...

 

[GIMH]

Nope, its does not have a possessive apostrophe, the only time that word has an apostrophe is when it is an abbreviation of it is.

 

[Matt79]

GIMH is correct. "Its" is possessive. "It's" is a contraction of "It is".

 

[Richard]

I had always believed the latter to be both.

I can think of no good reason why "it" should have no possessive apostrophe and "-insert name-" should.

 

[GIMH]

Well it's the truth, there is no apostrophe in its.

 

[Matt79]

^^ Logically you might be right, but the good folks at the Oxford Dictionary, and just about every other body that provides guidance on correct English usage would disagree with you.

 

[GIMH]

Click here Richard...

 

[Craig]

IMO the best umpires in the elite panel should be allowed to umpire it home.

In that I mean somebody like Simon Taufel and to give an example perhaps Steve Bucknor to do a few Tests a home as a reward for such consistency (Ie Taufel).

 

[Craig]

So give them more work to do - great!

Um I think a lot of them do already...

 

[Richard]

Click here Richard...

I actually couldn't find anything related to said situation in that page, but God-daym... I'll change me bloodei sig...

 

[Richard]

IMO the best umpires in the elite panel should be allowed to umpire it home.

In that I mean somebody like Simon Taufel and to give an example perhaps Steve Bucknor to do a few Tests a home as a reward for such consistency (Ie Taufel).

It's all well and good in idea, but the whole reason for independent Umpires was not to remove bias, but to remove suspicion of bias on the players' part, and thereby give less cause for dissent.

Having an Umpire, even if he has "Elite Panel Umpire" in his title, stand in a match involving his team will still allow the suspicion of bias.

 

[Jono]

Yeah but its stupid saying "well you can umpire in your own country's ODIs, even possibly the WC final, but in test matches... no people will think you're bias."

Fair enough Test cricket is the real deal and the main format, but its still inconsistent and hypocritical IMO.

 

[GIMH]

I actually couldn't find anything related to said situation in that page, but God-daym... I'll change me bloodei sig...

"It's" is short for "it has" or "it is". (There are no other uses.)
It's stopped raining, and it's sunny.

"Its", on the other hand, is similar to "his" and "her" and is used to show possession.
I'm near the whale. I can see its tail.
This is it's fourth journey. (should read its )

 

[Richard]

Must've missed that, ta...

 

[Richard]

Yeah but its stupid saying "well you can umpire in your own country's ODIs, even possibly the WC final, but in test matches... no people will think you're bias."

Fair enough Test cricket is the real deal and the main format, but its still inconsistent and hypocritical IMO.

I think it's stupid, too, that ODIs are somehow considered different to Tests where Umpires are concerned - just a shame everyday-fans can't get the same attitude to players that authorities have mistakenly with the Umpires.