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two easy questions
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Believer  #212406  Tue, 04 Apr 06 12:11 PM

1. Sometimes I am not sure whether I have to put an apostrophe and s or just s with no apostrophes.

eg. (This sentence is from one of the posts here.)

  It is OK to have two such at's in a sentence.

Why not, It is OK to have two such ats in a sentence?

2. Are these sentences OK. I am seeing them a lot.

Do you remember the pastor Smith of LC Church in Pungching?

Do you remember Pastor Smith of LC Church in Pungching?

I think the second one is being used as a title, how about the first one? Would you say it is being used as a position?

   
  
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Mister Micawber  #212446  Tue, 04 Apr 06 02:35 PM

1-- I don't like either.  I would italicize at and produce ats.

2-- The first is odd.  Do you remember the pastor, Jebediah Smith...?
  
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Ckwek  #212699  Wed, 05 Apr 06 04:51 PM

I think the second one could write like this:

Do you remember Father Smith, the Pastor of LC Church in Pungching?

(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary: Pastor - a leader of a Christain group of church, especially one which is Protestant.)
  
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Believer  #212773  Wed, 05 Apr 06 11:10 PM

Thank you.

In all due respect, I think the terms "father" and "pastor" cannot be used to refer to the same person in that that position and/or with that title. I think the term "Father" is used in Catholic churches and the term "Pastor" is being used in Christian churches.
  
Ckwek  #212919  Thu, 06 Apr 06 12:33 PM

My fault! haha! How about Brother! Hahaha! ^^

CK
  
Believer  #213069  Fri, 07 Apr 06 12:51 AM

I have three questions.

1. Can I not capitalize the underlined positional word "the Pastor" or that word when being used in a title MUST be capitalized?

Do you remember Pastor Smith,  the Pastor of LC Church in Pungching. 

Also, when I used the word "captalize" in this context, can I use it mean "just capitalizing the first letter of the word," not the whole word?

2. What is the difference between the two here?

I think the term is being used in Catholic churches.

I think the term is used in Catholic churches.

Is it just that the first sentence is putting more emphasis on the current state with the word "being"?

What do you call this word grammatically?

3. What is the difference?

I am a man

I am Man.

He is a man

He is Man.
  
Mister Micawber  #213103  Fri, 07 Apr 06 05:08 AM

1-- do not capitalize the pastor, any more than you would capitalize the doctor or the professor.  Capitalize:  7a. To write or print in capital letters. b. To begin a word with a capital letter.

2-- Yes, your assumption is correct.

3--
I am a man.
I am Man.
He is a man.
He is Man.

The first and third suggest that he wears pants rather than dresses, though it can also indicate the species.  The second and fourth are odd unless Jesus or Adam is speaking.
  
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