# Very simple grammar question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 28, 2000, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171 "2000-07-28T07:02:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/1 "2000-07-28T07:02:35Z")
I was discussing grammar with my friend tonight. Specifically the ‘it’ dilemma. He says that ‘it’s’ denotes possession (eg. it had a wart on it’s nose), as well as being an abbreviation for it is (wow, it’s fast!). I, however, stand by the fact that ‘it’s’ only means it is, and ‘its’ (it had a wart on its nose) is used for possession. Which of us is right? ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/2 "2000-07-28T07:05:01Z")
i hope you made a bet, fella, cuz you just won. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/3 "2000-07-28T07:16:17Z")
I teach English often so I can assure you that your friend is wrong. I hope you won some money!! ---
**Author:** ![TheThill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheThill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheThill)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/4 "2000-07-28T10:12:28Z")
_It’s_ amazing, though, how many people get this wrong! ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/5 "2000-07-28T10:16:16Z")
_Your_ right about that!!! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/6 "2000-07-28T13:46:45Z")
A way to remember this is that possessive pronouns don’t contain apostrophes: his, hers, theirs, ours, its. So instead of “its” being some kind of exception, it fits the pattern perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/7 "2000-07-28T13:55:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CurtC \* > A way to remember this is that possessive pronouns don’t contain apostrophes Unless you’re in Arkansas: His’n, her’n, their’n 😉 ---
**Author:** ![mothra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@mothra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mothra)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/8 "2000-07-28T13:58:59Z")
In England, I frequently see shops selling: video’s, camera’s, CD’s, PC’s, tomato’s and banana’s to name but a handful. Then again, there are some English dictionaries that are considering amalgamating the meanings of ‘infer’ and ‘imply’ too. I lose sleep over this most nights. ---
**Author:** ![ReservoirDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@ReservoirDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReservoirDog)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/9 "2000-07-28T16:26:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bear\_Nenno \* > \*\*_Your_ right about that!!! 😉 \*\* Don’t be such a looser! ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/10 "2000-07-28T17:02:49Z")
Hmm, didn’t seem to phase him a bit. You should of said it louder. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/11 "2000-07-28T17:04:38Z")
Thanx a lot all of you, I just wanted to get that cleared up. ---
**Author:** ![lolagranola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/12 "2000-07-28T17:06:25Z")
> [@](#): > > A way to remember this is that possessive pronouns don’t contain apostrophes Aha! Unless it’s a plural possessive pronoun. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/13 "2000-07-28T17:16:27Z")
Just remember this simple mnemonic: “Its” is “it’s” when it’s “it is”, and “its” when it’s not. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/14 "2000-07-28T17:19:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by \ ***CurtC** > A way to remember this is that possessive pronouns don’t contain apostrophes > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by \ ***lolagranola** > Aha! Unless it’s a plural possessive pronoun. No… Plural possessive forms are our, ours, your, yours, their, theirs. – See, no apostrophe’s :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/15 "2000-07-28T17:47:28Z")
> [@](#): > > mothra wrote: > In England, I frequently see shops selling: video’s, camera’s, CD’s, PC’s, tomato’s and banana’s to name but a handful. Or my favorite, from East Texas: a cup near a cash register for spare pennies, marked “Penny’s”. ---
**Author:** ![Delta-9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3be4f8/32.png) [@Delta-9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delta-9)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/16 "2000-07-28T17:51:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried \* > \*\*Just remember this simple mnemonic: > > “Its” is “it’s” when it’s “it is”, and “its” when it’s not. \*\* Arnold, I had it until you posted this. Now I’m confused again. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/17 "2000-07-28T17:57:25Z")
Sorry delta-9! Actually I quoted the mnemonic incompletely, maybe this will help. Its spelling is “it’s” when it’s “it is”, and it’s “its” when it’s not. Is that clearer? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Teach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@Teach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teach)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/18 "2000-07-28T18:04:40Z")
First post, but I just had to get in on this one. I have spent my life and career on eradicating careless errors such as the one currently under discussion, but I had always assumed that those who typed “it’s” for “its” and vice versa were more likely innocent victims of inadvertent slips of the keyboard than products of a poor grounding in English grammar. Speaker’s post, however, has proved me wrong. This brings me to a slightly tangential (i.e. hijacking) query. Does English grammar (including spelling and punctuation) really matter anymore? Most readers know that “it’s nose” means “its nose” (or they don’t even notice the difference), but they usually let it slide. This indicates to me that the language may be changing and there’s (or theirs) nothing we can (or should) do about it. Do we really create any ambiguities or misunderstandings by writing “Your my best best friend” instead of the pedant’s correct version of “You’re…”? ---
**Author:** ![Delta-9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3be4f8/32.png) [@Delta-9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delta-9)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/19 "2000-07-28T18:05:28Z")
Its okay, Arnold. Before my brain loses anymore of it’s cells, I think I’ll go lie down. Its been a long day. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171/20 "2000-07-28T18:23:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DrMatrix \* > \*\*No… Plural possessive forms are our, ours, your, yours, their, theirs. – See, no apostrophe’s :rolleyes: \*\* Which is to say that there are no smilies belonging to an apostrophe in the above examples. 🙂 That should have read: See, no apostrophes. :rolleyes: There should be no apostrophe and you forgot a period. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-grammar-question/27171.md?page=2)