Bloody foreigners need to learn English
 

Bloody foreigner bosses. Yank and then a Pole.

I have had to produce a presentation about software licence issues and they have returned it for me to correct the spelling mistakes. What mistakes?

They do not get it. The piece of paper etc is a licence. when applying a licence, you license.

Aghhh this is driving me mad. The companies official language is English. Not American.

Re: Bloody foreigners need to learn English
 

Corrected for you :D

Re: Bloody foreigners need to learn English
 

:smt082

Re: Bloody foreigners need to learn English
 

Ahhh but should there be an apostrophe? Should it just be companys because he isn't saying the company is, which would be company's. I'm quite possibly wrong though, just using the rules we were taught when I did my higher English, so there may be more to it!!

Re: Bloody foreigners need to learn English
 

OK, guilty as charged.

As for the use of the apostrophe. As it is possessive, then I would say it applies. As in, the official language of the company is. I had used the plural form

Then again I did not study English, it seemed to be assumed that fodder for the factories did not need to know anything more than basic literacy, numeracy and knowledge would be dangerous. Make us start to question our place in the pecking order.

Re: Bloody foreigners need to learn English
 

Nope- it's a possessive singular. Would have an apostrophe.

Like The Doctor's Surgery for 1 doctor, or The Doctors' Surgery for a group of doctors.

Re: Bloody foreigners need to learn English
 

No such word as 'companys'. Perhaps they should call it the Higher Scottish?

singular: company
plural: companies

posessive, belonging to one company: company's
posessive, belonging to more than one comapny: companies'

simples.;)

Re: Bloody foreigners need to learn English
 

Mmmm, English lessons from a Scot...;)

Only kidding MBK but I just couldn't resist.

P.S. I went to school in Ireland, so pot calling kettle...

Re: Bloody foreigners need to learn English
 

The good old possessive plural. That apostrophe at the end gets them every time.

It is no wonder that johnny foreigner thinks English is a difficult language. However, they would probably study English grammar far more than most English schoolkids do.

As for language, I was taught French by an Irishman. No wonder I could never get the pronunciation right

Re: Bloody foreigners need to learn English
 

To be sure.