Difference between it's and its?

1. 64

   maxoxam41posted 11 years ago

   A lot of people writing on Hubpages have a problem making the distinction between a form of the present progressive tense and the possessive pronoun, why is it so? How can you write them and not make the difference? Does it mean that you don't understand their significance? If you don't why writing them?

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   1. 79

      Uninvited Writerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Many people don't seem to have a clue how to use apostrophes. Note the number who add 's to every plural they write...

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2. 61

   knolyourselfposted 11 years ago

   Must say I have a hard time understanding you and your's.

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   1. 61

      Lisa HWposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      It's probably worth mentioning the grammar rule here:
      
      "Its" is the possessive (which probably confuses a lot of people, because we generally associate a possessive with an apostrophe.
      
      "It's" is the contraction (as in "it is").
      
      In fairness to a whole lot of people, regarding a whole lot of mistakes, though....   Sometimes people really do know which words/punctuation they should use.  They just type fast, or think too fast, and make the occasional error.  (As in, for example, ""if you don't why writing them?"     )

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      1. 88

         WryLiltposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Correct. "It's" as possessive bugs me no end!

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         1. 61

            Lisa HWposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            I didn't know it was a test.      Nothing too much bugs me when it's someone else's writing.    I see it as their problem - not mine. 
            
            Another grammar issue a lot of people have some trouble with:
            "I appreciate you mailing that," as opposed to the correct, "I appreciate your mailing that."

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3. 79

   Shadesbreathposted 11 years ago

   I wrote a hub on it awhile back if anyone really wants a run through.
   
   I will say, however, that many people know the rule just fine, and just, through the speed of typing and with the lack of need on the Internet to hire a proofread for everything, some of them just get by. I think there is much less an excuse for them in a hub, than in the forum, obviously, but they are insidious little things to catch sometimes, because your mind already knows what you think you wrote. That's what the publishing gods created proofreaders for.

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4. 85

   rebekahELLEposted 11 years ago

   It can be tricky.
   
   It's is a contraction meaning it is or it has.   
   
   Its without the apostrophe is a possessive pronoun. 
   "He put the cd in its case."
   
   Possessive nouns do use an apostrophe.
   "The cat's cages were on a shelf."

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5. 78

   Mighty Momposted 11 years ago

   Them their hubbers simply don't know they're grammar rules, I reckon.

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6. 64

   maxoxam41posted 11 years ago

   Miighty mom, are you joking when you're spelling "they're"? Answer me yes!

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   1. 78

      Mighty Momposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Difficult as this may be to believe, I majored in English and make my living as a copywriter. I come on here strictly for sport.
      

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