Comments on: Grammar mistakes that make you look like a dork: its vs. it's

By: Lamont E. Lewis

Lamont E. Lewis — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:57:33 +0000

A quote; to whom it may be credited, I cannot remember. But hands down, it is the definitive explanation of the difference between the two it’s/its.

“It’s ‘its’, not ‘it’s, unless it’s ‘it is’, then, it’s it’s”

It’s humorous in its metaphor, is it not?

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:34:56 +0000

i disagree with you definition of dork. Possibly that is the original meaning, but people so rarely use it that way that the meaning has shifted to the vernacular usage. Particularly since it is slang in the first place, something it defined by usage.

By: paul

paul — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:55:01 +0000

I find that peoples insertion of themselves into messages causes me the most grief …delusions of grandeur… lol

Why does it seem more eloquent to put “myself” rather than I or me ….I have always used the rule that if I remove the other person from the sentence how would I refer to myself (not I or me!).

I had a colleague leave me a voicemail, but said colleague has done the same in written correspondence as well….
“Paul …..blah, blah, I need… so please get back to myself….”
I responded that only he could get back to himself so I was off the hook.

As if somehow the use of myself makes him feel more important.

By: Ariel

Ariel — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 03:17:46 +0000

Apparently I need to learn to proofread my comments…
I should also point out that my other major grammar problem is ommiting words… typically it’ll be something small like “and” or “it”. But then, I occasionally leave out big words like “existance”. I also reverse my letters when typing. Such as in the word “seplled” in my comment above. It should be “spelled”.

(NOW who looks like a dork? )

By: Ariel

Ariel — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 03:13:16 +0000

Personally, I’m good on the its/it’s front, as well as the there’s/theirs to/two/too you’re/your and pretty much anything that involves apostrophes. The banes of my grammatical are the words necessary(neccesary/nessecary as usually seplled my me…), vacuum (vaccuum) and in general any word in which it just makes sense to put a double letter (across v.s. accross and until v.s. untill). Who came up with those stupid spelling rules anyway?! In grade school you basically fry your brain to learn phonics and then again to learn to spell all the words that voilate them. But then that’s technically not grammar is it… Still, the most common “grammar” errors I find are actually spelling errors that happen to work in a different context… like it’s and its or you’re and your.

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 11:09:58 +0000

You’re/your not alone, Kristof. Lots of people — people who should and do know better — make careless mistakes with sound-alike words and phrases when they’re/their/there not paying attention. I know I’m guilty! I find that my mistake is adding apostrophes/apostrophe’s where they are not warranted, rather than leaving out apostrophes that should be there.

There’s/theirs probably at least one study that has researched this, but I’m too/to/two busy to take time to do any serious research at the moment. It sure would be/bee interesting! [Note to self: add to list of possible dissertation topics!]

I think (read: hope) that people are pretty tolerant about careless mistakes in quick’n'dirty communication such as rapid-fire email conversations. But if you’re writing something where accuracy counts, it’s/its a good idea to proofread for/four the errors that you know you tend to make. But heck, you know this already!

By: Kristof

Kristof — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 10:52:05 +0000

I often make that mistake because of the electric current in my brain sometimes taking the wrong exit … I know the difference, however, I often confuse “it’s” and “its” while writing simply because it’s looks so much like a possessive thingy!

Kristof’s Volvo is a big and boxy car. It’s green and its body is squareish …

See, I know how it works, I just don’t always get it right while typing things in a hurry. Somehow, it’s looks good because I also write Kristof’s or Lori’s.

It’s rather similar to the “you’re” and “your” mistakes I sometimes make. I know how it’s supposed to be written, I just sometimes confuse them because they sound the same. I guess I’m an “aural” writer … Or maybe just “aurible”