So the apostrophe — that key orthographic distinguisher that protects Western civilization from confusion between the genitive case of the 3rd person singular neuter pronoun and the result of attaching the clitic form of the 3rd person singular present tense form of the copula to that pronoun — is being elided in some people’s casual communications on small keypad-driven devices. Well; we’ve never encountered carelessness with apostrophes before, have we? Behold, a new language; the birth of a new species!

Yes indeedy! Geoffrey Pullum sticks it to the people who are quoted by the people who like to write the alarmist stuff that people who like to read this sort of alarmist stuff like to read.

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