# IT'S and ITS **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 4, 2000, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-and-its/18546 "2000-05-04T13:54:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fyodor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/958977/32.png) [@Fyodor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fyodor)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2000, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-and-its/18546/1 "2000-05-04T13:54:44Z")
This is a source of constant annoyance to me. I see misuse of “it’s” everywhere including all over this message board. Even the brilliant moderators misuse “it’s”. “It’s” has one use only - it is the contraction of “it is”. It should not be used like this: “it’s function” or “it’s ability”. I have argued with people at work about this and they say it is the possesive of “it” and they use an example like “Al’s car” to justify their position. My response is to ask if they acknowledge the existance of the word “its” and ask where “its” is used. This is probably the most common written error in the English language. Clean up your acts. Strive for perfection. Fight human ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2000, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-and-its/18546/2 "2000-05-04T13:56:13Z")
> [@](#): > > “It’s” has one use only - it is the contraction of “it is”. Wrong. It’s also a contraction of “it has,” as in, “It’s been two weeks since my last paycheck.” ---
**Author:** ![struuter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@struuter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/struuter)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2000, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-and-its/18546/3 "2000-05-04T14:45:44Z")
Granted, this sounds a little elementary, but to the students I tutored at college it made a lot of sense. Think of the apostrophe in “it’s” as the dot on the invisible “i”. Now, I realize that ‘it has’ is also applicable, but this rather simple explanation will get people to think out the words. My main suggestion was to just write out “it is” or “it has” and avoid the worry. ---
**Author:** ![Farlley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/43a26b/32.png) [@Farlley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farlley)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2000, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-and-its/18546/4 "2000-05-04T21:07:46Z")
It may sound strange, but I think it’s time to drop the use of apostrophies altogether. Some languages did this, such as Dutch and German, about 200 years ago. Nothing bad happened. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2000, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-and-its/18546/5 "2000-05-04T22:19:43Z")
Hello, Farrley. You dumb troll. Obviously, you know fuck all about German and Dutch either. Your statement is complete nonsense. We, the Dutch, use apostrophies all the time, especially for contractions. So do the Germans. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2000, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-and-its/18546/6 "2000-05-04T23:09:14Z")
Jeezus, **CF** what the fuck would _you_ know about it? Gee, it’s not like you’re . . . _ **Dutch** _ or anything. So much for **Ffaarrlleeyy** ’s chances at building any credibility at all. Dumbass. ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2000, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-and-its/18546/7 "2000-05-04T23:32:17Z")
> [@](#): > > Clean up your acts. Strive for perfection. Fight human ignorance. > > * * * > > “And dats what I tink” - Andrew Dice Clay :: Deep sniff :: I love the smell of irony in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![Farlley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/43a26b/32.png) [@Farlley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farlley)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2000, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-and-its/18546/8 "2000-05-04T23:34:09Z")
Did I say Dutch? I meant Fren…er, Italian, yeah, that’s the ticket! And they don’t use quote marks either. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2000, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-and-its/18546/9 "2000-05-04T23:42:11Z")
Choad. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2000, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-and-its/18546/10 "2000-05-04T23:49:06Z")
Fuck off, Fartley. It is quite OK to shut the hell up if you have absolutely nothing to add.