Proper use of the apostrophe makes you look clever

Do you look stupid in print? Consider a class action against your old school. Or sue your English teacher. Better yet, sue your department of education. Sue them all.

What is it with apostrophe abuse?

I found the following plea for advice on the Internet. The writer wants to know what is ailing her, but quite honestly, I would have to add some apostrophes before I tell her. Then I would have to rewrite the whole thing.

Sinceearly in the school year, i've been having severe nonstop headaches that dont go away, no matter what i take. i have stomach aches that feel neither like cramps, like im going to throw up, or anything ive ever felt. i get dizzy frequently, the room will spin, i black out, and feel like im going to pass out. this is daily. it always feels like theres so much pressure in my head that its going to explode.

Why apostrophe abuse hurts so much

I don’t care how much you jump up and down screaming, “I hate bloody apostrophes”, seeing them omitted or used improperly makes me get out my pen and start editing. The truth is, you can write how you like to your friends via private SMS and emails, but when it comes to writing for the public, standard grammar still applies. So, if you want your readers to take notice, write proper English.
The apostrophe has two jobs: to indicate a possessive and to indicate omitted letters. That’s all.
To indicate the possessive

The DVD’s cover is missing (singular). The DVDs’ covers are missing (plural).

The TV’s remote control is broken (singular). The TVs’ remote controls are missing (plural).

The girl’s hat blew away (singular). The girls’ hats blew away (plural).

But, if you can’t say “it is”, ditch the apostrophe.

Its cover is broken. (It does not make sense to say: It is cover is broken.)

To replace omitted letters and form one word

I have eaten my lunch already. I’ve eaten my lunch already. (The apostrophe takes the place of ha.)

We have seen the light. We’ve seen the light. (The apostrophe takes the place of ha.)

Let us see how far we can go. Let’s see how far we can go. (The apostrophe takes the place of u.)

It's raining again. (It is raining again.)

Here’s the above paragraph with corrections:

Sincerely, in the school year, I've been having severe nonstop headaches that don’t go away, no matter what I take. I have stomach aches that feel neither like cramps, like I’m going to throw up, or anything I’ve ever felt. I get dizzy frequently, the room will spin, I black out, and feel like I’m going to pass out. This is daily. It always feels like there’s so much pressure in my head that it’s going to explode.

Now, isn’t that better? The other grammatical errors are for another blog.
See the Shire Web Writer website for writing help.