Can I make a request for your next grammar lesson? This is one of the only areas in English grammar I have problems with (except spelling): ending in s, 's, and s'. Like, to say 'the coat that belongs to Tori' do we say 'Toris Coat' or 'Tori's Coat'? I would think the 2nd way would be correct. However, when I write about "it" rather than "Tori" and type "The cat licked it's coat" (rather nonsensical sentence I know but I can't come up with anything better on the fly!) my grammar spell check says it's wrong and it should be "it's". I thought "it's" is only used for a contraction of it+is, not to show a possesion belong to 'it'. CONFUSION(sp?) !
But in short, if it is possessive, aka belonging to someone (Tori's Coat) it would have the apostrophe. In the case of its and it's, you're right - it's is a contraction of it is. If it belongs to it, it is just its. :D
Ha, I've read that this is a major pet peeve, even up in the higher circles of academia. Personally, I'm not easily upset by poor grammar anymore as it's pretty rife in all realms (I've known some pretty brilliant people who were not above slipping, and conversely those who adhered obsessively to the rules yet failed to impress of anything but that drab diligence). I guess I just wish people cared more about, well, everything. :o And I guess slovenly language makes this general wide-spread aloofness more immediately apparent. Sorry for popping in to ramble at you. :)
Comments 11
Reply
( ... )
Reply
Reply
Reply
But in short, if it is possessive, aka belonging to someone (Tori's Coat) it would have the apostrophe. In the case of its and it's, you're right - it's is a contraction of it is. If it belongs to it, it is just its. :D
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment