Monday, February 21, 2011

Common Error: Confusing "it's" and "its"

Hello, and welcome to Mistake Monday! Our common error today is a small one, but it's very common. In fact, it may be even more common for native speakers than English learners. Still, at Sitzman ABC we're here to help everybody, so let's check this one out!

Common Error: Confusing "it's" and "its"
DON’T say this:The happy dog looked at me and wagged it's tail.
Its really hot today, isn't it?
Today it's Monday.
WHY?-"it's" is a contraction of the words "it is"--it has an apostrophe because the apostrophe replaces the missing letter
-"its" is the possessive form of the word "it"
-The third example above is also incorrect because it's redundant. "Today" is the subject, so it's not necessary to say "it" also, since that would basically repeat the subject. 
INSTEAD, SAY THIS:-"The happy dog looked at me and wagged its tail."
-"It's really hot today, isn't it?"
-"Today is Monday."
-"I think you'll probably not make this mistake anymore, since it's so easy to correct."

Well, that's it for now. If you have questions or comments, please leave a comment or contact us. Thanks for reading!

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-Ryan

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