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It's irritation (grammar)

How annoying is it's and its use?

  • Total voters
    51

Tristan Chi

Critical Thinker
Tristan Chi
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
341
Location
Southern Sweden
I see a tendency for miswriting the possessive form of the neuter pronoun "it", even among native, otherwise quite capable English writers.

How annoyed are you English speaking types over it's's abundance?
 
Where's the "other" vote?

"It's" as a possessive is (unless the dictionaries have decided otherwise in recent years, I'm too lazy to look) technically not incorrect, though the less common and less preferred usage.

There are FAR more glaring and embarrassing/annoying grammatical goofs going on out there, even by so-called professional writers.
 
*Shrugs* I've always had a hard time getting where language pendants are coming from. "Its" and "It's" are pronounced the same so while using "It's" for the possessive might not be technically "correct" it is hardly confusing. And since so many possessives do use apostrophes it isn't a totally not understandable mistake. I get that its operates under the same rules as his or hers but confusing it for following the same rules as Bob's or Tim's or whatever doesn't make someone a dullard.
 
bigred said:
Where's the "other" vote?

"It's" as a possessive is (unless the dictionaries have decided otherwise in recent years, I'm too lazy to look) technically not incorrect, though the less common and less preferred usage.

There are FAR more glaring and embarrassing/annoying grammatical goofs going on out there, even by so-called professional writers.
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If you're going purely as a descriptive thing, in that many people have used the apostrophe in the possessive, you're right. But I'm not sure that any dictionary has included it. I have always seen it without the apostrophe.
 
JoeBentley said:
*Shrugs* I've always had a hard time getting where language pendants are coming from. "Its" and "It's" are pronounced the same so while using "It's" for the possessive might not be technically "correct" it is hardly confusing. And since so many possessives do use apostrophes it isn't a totally not understandable mistake. I get that its operates under the same rules as his or hers but confusing it for following the same rules as Bob's or Tim's or whatever doesn't make someone a dullard.
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But not the personal pronouns, unless you're Tennyson.
 
Rat said:
But not the personal pronouns, unless you're Tennyson.
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And I'm not arguing that it is not "According to Hoyle" wrong, just that as far as a language slip up goes its pretty understandable and minor.
 
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At a conservative estimate, I read around 1500 pages of college freshman writing a semester. I can't begin to calculate how many apostrophe errors I have seen. "It's" for "its" (and "its" for "it's") is annoying; by this point of the semester, I want to make it a capital offense; and, on occasion, it can be confusing. It's not the worst offense I see: poor organization, poor argumentation, poor research skills, poor critical reading and critical thinking skills are all much worse sins in a composition classroom. If a paper is exemplary in every way except apostrophe usage, I won't mark it down in any significant way. However, I've been on a week-long grading bender, and I'm feeling stabby.
 
Lucian said:
At a conservative estimate, I read around 1500 pages of college freshman writing a semester. I can't begin to calculate how many apostrophe errors I have seen. "It's" for "its" (and "its" for "it's") is annoying; by this point of the semester, I want to make it a capital offense; and, on occasion, it can be confusing. It's not the worst offense I see: poor organization, poor argumentation, poor research skills, poor critical reading and critical thinking skills are all much worse sins in a composition classroom. If a paper is exemplary in every way except apostrophe usage, I won't mark it down in any significant way. However, I've been on a week-long grading bender, and I'm feeling stabby.
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My sister got a temp job once grading essays from high school students. It made her weep for the future of humanity.
 
I cast my vote before reading the thread. :jaw-dropp

So I have to recant my vote. In fact it's as its and vice-versa are very annoying and confusing uses to me and I think I speak for most people having English as an "in the making" second, third, ... language. It's hard enough with English using the wrong alphabet. aɪd ˈriəli prɪˈfɜːr ɪt tʊ juːz ɪts əʊn ˈælfəˌbɛt.

But I have to say that I found more annoying the use of the pronoun "i", which is OK with those that haven't had their "I" mitzvahs yet, but improper if UR14 or older ;). When you're trying to read, this self-diminishing use really scatters speed bumps all around the text, and contradictory enough, such self-diminishing use is common in those with self-referential speech.
 
JoeBentley said:
*Shrugs* I've always had a hard time getting where language pendants are coming from. "Its" and "It's" are pronounced the same so while using "It's" for the possessive might not be technically "correct" it is hardly confusing. And since so many possessives do use apostrophes it isn't a totally not understandable mistake. I get that its operates under the same rules as his or hers but confusing it for following the same rules as Bob's or Tim's or whatever doesn't make someone a dullard.
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Errrrm, pedants

:duck:
 
Rat said:
I suppose that someone who is hanging on your every word could be said to be a lanuage pendant.
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I was thinking of getting my sister-in-law a lanuage pendant for Christmas. Some of them are lovely.
 
JoeBentley said:
*Shrugs* I've always had a hard time getting where language pendants are coming from. "Its" and "It's" are pronounced the same so while using "It's" for the possessive might not be technically "correct" it is hardly confusing. And since so many possessives do use apostrophes it isn't a totally not understandable mistake. I get that its operates under the same rules as his or hers but confusing it for following the same rules as Bob's or Tim's or whatever doesn't make someone a dullard.
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:D There's another one. ;)
 
I think the question of why something as inconsequential as this should irritate someone is an interesting phenomena. The meaning of "it's" or "its" should almost always be clear from the context of its place in the sentence, so I can't imagine that confusion is the source of the irritation.

I fully admit I get irritated by inconsequential things as well, so this is not to bash anyone. I just something I find strange about both myself and others.
 
cornsail said:
I think the question of why something as inconsequential as this should irritate someone is an interesting phenomena. The meaning of "it's" or "its" should almost always be clear from the context of its place in the sentence, so I can't imagine that confusion is the source of the irritation.

I fully admit I get irritated by inconsequential things as well, so this is not to bash anyone. I just something I find strange about both myself and others.
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But bothering to vote is out of the question? Inconsequentially.
 
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