5 ms·

I think this doesn't help. What is relevant is that there are two forms: it's and its. Its easy to mix them by non-natives like myself. No-one ever writes She

I think this doesn't help. What is relevant is that there are two forms: it's and its. Its easy to mix them by non-natives like myself. No-one ever writes She's or Us's, but "It's" is valid as is its. It's easy to deduce that one should not write us's but it's not that easy with it. :)

scrollaway 12y ago
"It's" is a contraction of "it is", it doesn't exist in and of itself. Maybe that helps more?
- kyberias 12y ago
  Argh... now I really got it backwards. What I meant to say was that one does not write "shes", one writes "her", and not "wes" but "our". And that does not apply to "it". To summarize, comparison to other personal pronouns is irrelevant since "it" has a special combination of rules.
  - scrollaway 12y ago
    I'm not sure how "it" is special". Because its possessive ends in an s? So do "theirs", "hers", and "ours" (which I think are the ones you meant). I think you're having a hard time because you're overcomplicating the matter. "its" is the possessive of "it". "it's" is a contraction of "it is". Possessives adjectives: My, Your, His, Her, Their, Its. Possessive pronouns: Mine, Yours, His, Her, Theirs, Its. You have four less to remember than with most languages :)
    - kyberias 12y ago
      I'm not sure why you need to tell me I'm having a hard time. I don't feel like having a hard time with this issue. Also I'm not overcomplicating anything. You said it yourself: you're not sure how "it" is special. I'm sorry, I cannot help you any further. Maybe others in this thread can.
sophacles 12y ago
Also: Bob's going to Bob's house. (Bob is going to the house Bob owns). Look, a bear! It's going to its cave. (Look a bear. It is going to the cave it owns) "its" is a weird special case.
crusso 12y ago
Its easy to mix them by non-natives like myself You're being far too generous to us natives by implying that this is only a problem for non-natives.
- scrollaway 12y ago
  FYI: I'm not a native English speaker. I just love languages.
mikeash 12y ago
"She's going to a play." Doesn't check out, sorry.

scrollaway 12y ago

"It's" is a contraction of "it is", it doesn't exist in and of itself. Maybe that helps more?

kyberias 12y ago
Argh... now I really got it backwards. What I meant to say was that one does not write "shes", one writes "her", and not "wes" but "our". And that does not apply to "it". To summarize, comparison to other personal pronouns is irrelevant since "it" has a special combination of rules.
- scrollaway 12y ago
  I'm not sure how "it" is special". Because its possessive ends in an s? So do "theirs", "hers", and "ours" (which I think are the ones you meant). I think you're having a hard time because you're overcomplicating the matter. "its" is the possessive of "it". "it's" is a contraction of "it is". Possessives adjectives: My, Your, His, Her, Their, Its. Possessive pronouns: Mine, Yours, His, Her, Theirs, Its. You have four less to remember than with most languages :)
  - kyberias 12y ago
    I'm not sure why you need to tell me I'm having a hard time. I don't feel like having a hard time with this issue. Also I'm not overcomplicating anything. You said it yourself: you're not sure how "it" is special. I'm sorry, I cannot help you any further. Maybe others in this thread can.

sophacles 12y ago

Also: Bob's going to Bob's house. (Bob is going to the house Bob owns). Look, a bear! It's going to its cave. (Look a bear. It is going to the cave it owns) "its" is a weird special case.

crusso 12y ago

Its easy to mix them by non-natives like myself You're being far too generous to us natives by implying that this is only a problem for non-natives.

scrollaway 12y ago
FYI: I'm not a native English speaker. I just love languages.

mikeash 12y ago

"She's going to a play." Doesn't check out, sorry.