Learn English Series! Tip #92 - It's and Its

[mendhak]

It's = it is or it has or it *s
Its = belonging to it

Yes, yes, I get it. Apostrophes usually denote possession.

Emily's car

But the word "it" is an exception. It just is. Get used to it.

The gridview keeps losing its values.
11PM is when you can see the sky at its best.
You don't realize that it's my car that you're siphoning from.
It's really difficult to understand the difference between it's and its.

Write this rule down and put it in a place that is always visible to you, such as the insides of your eyeballs.

[wossname]

yep yep ,yep is wicked and What!

[techgnome]

When in doubt about when to use it's vs its....... replace it with IT IS..... if it still makes sense, it's it's. If it doesn't odds are, it's its. <- go on, test it... replace the "it's" with "it is" ... still makes sense doesn't it? But if you replace the "its" with "it is" ... it stops making sense.

-tg

[JPicasso]

If I place this rule on the inside of my eyeballs,
you will have to except the fact that my English will contain acceptions.

wait, that's not right.

[Shaggy Hiker]

If I place this rule on the inside of my eyeballs,
you will have to except the fact that my English will contain acceptions.

wait, that's not right.

No, it's not right, but it's very nearly true.

[InvisibleDuncan]

I have never understood why people get this wrong. It's such a simple rule, one of the basics of grammar, and is incredibly easy to grasp.

Personally, I'm in favour of shooting people who make this mistake.

[Hack]

Personally, I'm in favour of shooting people who make this mistake.

A substantial portion of the American public would be in need of medical attention should this wish be granted.

[Hack]

It's = it is or it has or it *s
Its = belonging to it

Yes, yes, I get it. Apostrophes usually denote possession.

Emily's car

But the word "it" is an exception. It just is. Get used to it.

Ok Mr. Smarty Pants, tell me this.

Who went up the water spout?

Was it the It'sy Bitsy Spider or the Itsy Bitsy Spider?

Huh? Huh? Figure that one out why dontcha!

[MartinLiss]

I prefer to use its'

[dee-u]

Was it the It'sy Bitsy Spider or the Itsy Bitsy Spider?

It should be

Itchy Bitchy Spider

[Hack]

I prefer to use its'

But its incorrect.

[MartinLiss]

Its' sort of like how you have a choice in how you form the possesive of my name; it can either be Liss's or Liss' and I believe it should be true for any word ending in s.

[techgnome]

Tip #93 - Their and There...

Their and there aren't interchangable either (Gary, you listening? - Oh, yeah, I'm calling you out) ... Their is possesive - "Users like their machines." ... There denotes a location "The computer is over there." ... It's NOT "There computer is over their." It's simple, if it's a location, use "there"... if you are talking about a group being possesive, use "their".

we could also go on about to, too, and two... but the English language is full of nuances like that.

-tg

[MartinLiss]

Tip #93 - Their and There...

Their and there aren't interchangable either (Gary, you listening? - Oh, yeah, I'm calling you out) ... Their is possesive - "Users like their machines." ... There denotes a location "The computer is over there." ... It's NOT "There computer is over their." It's simple, if it's a location, use "there"... if you are talking about a group being possesive, use "their".

we could also go on about to, too, and two... but the English language is full of nuances like that.

-tg

And they're of course.