did some time

[GUEST2008]

Hi

Is it OK to say: He did some time back in the 1970's.

 

[5jj]

It is OK to say it, but the meaning is not clear without more context.

 

[JMurray]

Is it OK to say: He did some time back in the 1970's.?

Yes, meaning: "He spent some time in prison during the 1970s".
Personally, I don't think the apostrophe is needed before the "s", but others may disagree.

not a teacher

 

[5jj]

Personally, I don't think the apostrophe is needed before the "s", but others may disagree.

I agree, but it is used often enough for it to be considered acceptable, in my opinion.

 

[SoothingDave]

It is OK to say it, but the meaning is not clear without more context.

I would think it meant prison.

 

[Barb_D]

I feel more strongly than you all. The apostrophe is WRONG.

 

[5jj]

I was taught at school back in the 1950s that the apostrophe was essential there, and with letters of the alphabet - There are two c's and two m's in "accommodate".

 

[Rover_KE]

I was taught at school back in the 1950s that the apostrophe was essential there.

When did you realise it wasn't, 5?

Rover

 

[5jj]

When did you realise it wasn't, 5?

Rover

Some time in the 1970s I discovered descriptivism - at school, and even at university, prescriptivism ruled. I was a prescriptivist myself when I started TEFLing in 1968, proud that, unlike some of my less well educated colleagues, I at least was able to maintain standards.

Slowly it began to dawn on me that some of what I had been taught was completely artificial, rules invented by people at various times almost on a whim. The apostrophe in 1950s was one of the first things to go in punctuation. Some of the grammar rules were too firmly drummed in to go - I'm still an I shall/you will and if he were here person, and I have been known to use the occasional whom, but at least I no longer insist that my learners produce them.

The apostrophe in 1950's doesn't worry me much. I tell learners that it is not necessary, but I don't worry too much if someone uses it - there are more important things in life to worry about.

 

[Barb_D]

- there are more important things in life to worry about.

I'd say just about every question we answer here falls into that category! Wait, no, I have the logic backward. Well, you know what I mean. No grammar, linguistic, or vocabulary question will ever rise to level of The Most Important Issue I Face Today. And God love me if it ever does. Life would be good!

 

[Tdol]

I was taught at school back in the 1950s that the apostrophe was essential there, and with letters of the alphabet - There are two c's and two m's in "accommodate".

Letters are tricky. I would rewrite to get around it and capitalise in things like Mind your Ps and Qs.