OT: Quick Break. Its', It's or Its?

[Kibitzer]

ITS. These three letters seem to cause lots of both misuse and consternation. Let me help our uncertain writers. Here goes:

First, its'. This is a wretched and useless construct. Abolish it! Permanently!

Next, its. A useful possessive, like hers and theirs.

Finally, it's. A contraction of it is. There is no other meaning!​

Many writers mistakenly cling to use of it's as a possessive, apparently believing that inserted apostrophe is necessary to indicate possession. Wrong! There is only one usage for it's and that is to say it is, briefly. Consider this:

"Gampel Pavilion is aging and it's sad to see its roof leaking."
​

SUMMARY.

Never write its'.
Write it's only to shorten it is.
Use its to indicate possession.
​

Good luck. Or fire away.

 

[bags27]

Well said, Kib, but this is, alas, a nearly lost cause. Folks just put the possessive apostrophe wherever they darn well feel like it these days. Even worse, of course, is the possessive for proper nouns ending in "s". That's become a complete disaster.

 

[Kibitzer]

Well said, Kib, but this is, alas, a nearly lost cause. Folks just put the possessive apostrophe wherever they darn well feel like it these days. Even worse, of course, is the possessive for proper nouns ending in "s". That's become a complete disaster.

I agree and even though I'm armed with The Chicago Manual of Style and The AP Guide to Grammar and Usage, it could take an entire off-season to thrash out that issue here.

Almost as difficult to explain as placement of quotation marks outside of commas and periods.

 

[Zorro]

It's an indication of our society and its declining language skills.

 

[CharlesE]

You KNOW UCONN had a great game when one of the top posts the day after is an English lesson!

 

[Jimbo]

But wait, wouldn't its' be correct if there were several its (plural) that were in possession of something?

For instance: "Remember, kids, whenever you write the word it a bunch of times, always make sure you dot all the its' i's!"

 

[meyers7]

This thread would be much more interesting with an extra "T".

 

[Kibitzer]

But wait, wouldn't its' be correct if there were several its (plural) that were in possession of something?

For instance: "Remember, kids, whenever you write th
e word it a bunch of times, always make sure you dot all the its' i's!"

I can't imagine a copyreader allowing its' to be published. (It's too awkward.)

A careful writer would avoid such a cumbersome statement. S/he would probably write something about "dotting the 'i' each time you write the word 'it.'"

 

[bags27]

And then there's this famous and fantastic California concoction; I'm still working off those pounds from 40 years ago.

 

[tomcat]

How about the use of the apostrophe to indicate plural? I don't know where it came from, but you see it in many places now, including the local Hartford newspaper, where at least one reporter has slipped it by the copy desk on occasion.

 

[Kibitzer]

How about the use of the apostrophe to indicate plural? I don't know where it came from, but you see it in many places now, including the local Hartford newspaper, where at least one reporter has slipped it by the copy desk on occasion.

Thanks. No apostrophe is needed to create a plural (noun), so it's wrong. Occasionally a careless 'Yarder will do it, I guess from (bad) habit.

 

[FairView]

There's also it's as a contraction for it has.

 

[Kibitzer]

There's also it's as a contraction for it has.

Good catch!

It's been used that way -- and it's grammatically correct.

 

[CL82]

You KNOW UCONN had a great game when one of the top posts the day after is an English lesson!

Ahem, it's UConn.

 

[alexrgct]

It's not that hard to understand the distinction highlighted by this thread and its title...

 

[Sargassoc]

How about the use of the apostrophe to indicate plural? I don't know where it came from, but you see it in many places now, including the local Hartford newspaper, where at least one reporter has slipped it by the copy desk on occasion.

An abomination.

 

[Sargassoc]

I agree and even though I'm armed with The Chicago Manual of Style and The AP Guide to Grammar and Usage, it could take an entire off-season to thrash out that issue here.

Almost as difficult to explain as placement of quotation marks outside of commas and periods.

Yes. I'm an English teacher and while most of my current students have finally mastered it, many of my colleagues still have not.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

It's so basic, you are better that it is Kib. Must be an its generational defect. Still, I look forward to it being just before the end, when I, with trembling hand, execute my last will and testament, in cursive, and neither those dullards or their dullard lawyer can read it. As I walk toward the light I will be laughing, knowing that someone will finally be found to read : It's a shame, but I died penniless!

 

[CharlesE]

Ahem, it's UConn.

Perhaps the spelling on the team jerseys should be corrected.

 

[Kibitzer]

Perhaps the spelling on the team jerseys should be corrected.

 

[CL82]

Perhaps the spelling on the team jerseys should be corrected.

No it's fine. You are confusing the wordmark with the written usage. They are two different things.

Here's a link for your reference.

"Please note that when used in cases other than the wordmark, the word UConn should simply be written as ‘UConn’ not ‘UCONN’. Likewise, the words UConn Health should simply be written as ‘UConn Health’ not ‘UCONN Health’ or ‘UCONN HEALTH’."

 

[Bliss]

Yes. I'm an English teacher and while most of my current students have finally mastered it, many of my colleagues still have not.

Okay, I have a question regarding correct use of "each other" and "one another". I recall being taught in grade school that "each" referred to two, as in two people, and "one" referred to more than two. Examples: "Tom and Jim spoke to each other. They were joined by Bob and the three talked with one another".

I'm beginning to think that my teachers were incorrect or that my memory is faulty because I hear TV folks using these constantly opposite of each other, as, "Geno and CD talked with one another". What say you, English teacher? (Seriously, I'd like a clarification.)

 

[trb123]

I know how to use a preposition to write "the fabulous guard development program of UTENN, Knoxville". ("at" is also used.)
Is there a way to write this using an " 's "?
Is "UTENN, Knoxville's fabulous guard development program" grammatically correct?
Or " "UTENN, KNoxville"'s fabulous guard development program "

 

[Kibitzer]

Okay, I have a question regarding correct use of "each other" and "one another". I recall being taught in grade school that "each" referred to two, as in two people, and "one" referred to more than two. Examples: "Tom and Jim spoke to each other. They were joined by Bob and the three talked with one another".
I'm beginning to think that my teachers were incorrect or that my memory is faulty because I hear TV folks using these constantly opposite of each other, as, "Geno and CD talked with one another". What say you, English teacher? (Seriously, I'd like a clarification.)

I defer to English teacher Sargassoc since your question was posed to her.

 

[Gus Mahler]

It's an indication of our society and its declining language skills.

More broadly, a decline in standards, period.