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I am not a native English speaker, but I'm constantly dumbfounded as to why anyone would even entertain the idea that "its/it's" are in any way similar. When yo
by obiterdictum 15y ago
I am not a native English speaker, but I'm constantly dumbfounded as to why anyone would even entertain the idea that "its/it's" are in any way similar. When you substitute one with another, the sentence just does not parse. It stops making sense.
By conflating "its" and "it's", you are overloading the meaning of "its", making the language more ambiguous.
Perhaps this also has to do with me being accustomed to more formal (programming) languages.
- radarsat1 15y agoThe reason it's confusing is that 's after a personal pronoun usually indicates possession, whereas this is the opposite for it's/its, so in that sense it's an exception to a rule, which people have a hard time remembering.
- parbo 15y agoWhat personal pronouns have 's for the possesive form? Mine's? Your's? Hi's? Her's? Their's?
- LukeShu 15y agoAh, you found the rule for when you don't use it. Contrary to many textbooks, teachers, and websites, the lack of an apostrophe in "its" is not an exception--you don't use the apostrophe for pronouns. "His". "Hers". "Yours". As apposed to "Jack's", "Julie's", "the user's".
- hbar 15y ago"opposed". Normally I wouldn't correct you, but this being the grammar nazi thread and all...
- SamReidHughes 15y ago"Its" is only used in places where "his", "her", and "your", which don't have the s's, are used. People don't use "its" in places where they'd use "hers" or "yours". It's awkward.
- radarsat1 15y agoThat's a better example. My explanation was wrong, but it's still an exception in the context you provide.
- psadauskas 15y agoBob's house. The mayor's key. The people's choice.
- parbo 15y agoThose are nouns, not pronouns.
- radarsat1 15y agoSorry, I used the wrong terminology.