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refresher, please

gue_bariumgue_barium Posts: 5,515
edited May 2007 in Poetry, Prose, Music & Art
its, it's

i think i keep screwing these two words up.

is there some sort of golden rule/mantra to help me
remember the correct usage?

thank you.
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Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • gue_bariumgue_barium Posts: 5,515
    I'm not an idiot.

    I just want to know if there's some sort of rule. Of course I know the apostrophe is the possessive (It's), but...I think I give the possessive more turns than I should. 'Its' doesn't make sense to me, somehow, for the moment.
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  • gue_bariumgue_barium Posts: 5,515
    Help me. This is driving me crazy.
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  • FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    It's its own mystery.
  • FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    Yes, just think, we don't use an apostrophe for "his", or "hers", and so therefore, we don't use it for "its".

    "It's" is only used as a conflation for "it is". Think, only use "It's" where once upon a time, people would have said "'tis".
  • justamjustam Posts: 21,410
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    It's its own mystery.

    The sentuence above is helpful I think. :)

    gue_barium, if I consistently make one mistake when I'm not being careful, it's the mis-use of it's for its.
    &&&&&&&&&&&&&&
  • justamjustam Posts: 21,410
    Arg for my typo! :(

    (sentence)
    &&&&&&&&&&&&&&
  • catefrancescatefrances Posts: 29,003
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    Yes, just think, we don't use an apostrophe for "his", or "hers", and so therefore, we don't use it for "its".

    "It's" is only used as a conflation for "it is". Think, only use "It's" where once upon a time, people would have said "'tis".

    simplify fins simplify.

    the use of an apostrophe in it's means there's something missing. it is = it's

    eg. it's going to be a cold day tomorrrow = it IS going to be a cold day tomorrow.


    whereas its is possession. there is no need for an apostrophe in this instance.

    eg. the earth rotates on its own axis.



    oh and while i'm at it. there is no apostrophe in plurals. it is not CD's it's just CDs. :) the CDs are not in ownership of anything, there is just more than one of them.
    hear my name
    take a good look
    this could be the day
    hold my hand
    lie beside me
    i just need to say
  • gue_bariumgue_barium Posts: 5,515
    I think I'm going to learn Spanish.
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  • decides2dreamdecides2dream Posts: 14,977
    gue_barium wrote:
    I think I'm going to learn Spanish.



    :D


    shall we enroll you in an ESL course? :p
    i think fins example sentence explains it beautifully.


    it's = it is
    its = possessive


    that's it.
    :)
    Stay with me...
    Let's just breathe...


    I am myself like you somehow


  • gue_bariumgue_barium Posts: 5,515
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    Yes, just think, we don't use an apostrophe for "his", or "hers", and so therefore, we don't use it for "its".

    "It's" is only used as a conflation for "it is". Think, only use "It's" where once upon a time, people would have said "'tis".
    I understand that.

    But I get mid-paragraph on a topic and "its" is also "It's" .

    Its just crazy.

    It happens, I'm not kidding.
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  • gue_bariumgue_barium Posts: 5,515
    decides2dream wrote:
    :D


    shall we enroll you in an ESL course? :p
    i think fins example sentence explains it beautifully.


    it's = it is
    its = possessive


    that's it.
    :)
    I KNOW THAT!!!
    its still fucking me up.
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    except by express written permission of ©gue_barium, the author.
  • gue_bariumgue_barium Posts: 5,515
    gue_barium wrote:
    I KNOW THAT!!!
    its still fucking me up.
    it's still fucking me up.
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    except by express written permission of ©gue_barium, the author.
  • gue_bariumgue_barium Posts: 5,515
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    It's its own mystery.

    That would seem to be the case, sherlock.
    all posts by ©gue_barium are protected under US copyright law and are not to be reproduced, exchanged or sold
    except by express written permission of ©gue_barium, the author.
  • decides2dreamdecides2dream Posts: 14,977
    gue_barium wrote:
    I KNOW THAT!!!
    its still fucking me up.



    RELAX! :p
    sheesh.


    anyway, i think you should post this info over in AET, particularly in the 'do you save your PMs?' thread...left and right people are typing PM's.......:rolleyes:


    :p
    Stay with me...
    Let's just breathe...


    I am myself like you somehow


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