I agree with David Haberstitch's well-reasoned response. However, the use of contractions is a subject that is fairly ripe for research among the visitors and I wish we had more hard evidence on the effects of contractions on not only visitors whose primary language is other than that used in the signage but also visitors who are less literate, period. Harry ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).