Proofreading time:

I am not really a nitpicker and am impressed with the subject matter and responses to this point. I was saddened when I taught college classes a decade ago at the state of the language. This is also an example-a [missing space and use of a hyphen when a dash is required] well respected [shouldn't that be 'well-respected'?] institution of higher learning and 1)differenciate [missing another space] (yes you can find it on the web but not in M-W or OED [missing em-dash or, at the least, a comma] the definitive word on our language) [I don't know what the writer is getting at with the spelling] and 2. [inconsistent notation -- the first number used a close-parenthesis, but this uses a period] not possessive american's but plural americans [the proper correction would be to use Americans' -- pointing out that 'american's' is wrong helps no one]. Yes-thankfully [missing space, misuse of hyphen, and it should have been a comma] our language is evolving [missing comma] but we must accept some basics-unless [again with the missing spaces and hyphen where dash is needed] it is for satirical or abstract purposes. I realize the point of the forum is a free exchange of great information for all, but I am sure when this scholarly paper is written, that the spellcheck will not catch their errors [do we know that the authors will be plural?]

Nice try, pedant. I realize that you were in a hurry to point out one error (misuse of the apostrophe) but the failure to capitalize African and American wasn't even mentioned. Be sure that hurried writing is often fraught with error. Be also sure that, in an informal online forum such as this one, sticklers will likely be stucklers. Consider yourself stuck.


Bob