Word Tip Archived Item
WORD TIP: It's Irritating!
One of the most common mistakes in text is caused by the writer not being able to distinguish between –
It’s – the contraction of “it is”
Example:
It's time to prepare all the materials for the annual report.
Less formal than "it is", the contraction of the pronoun "it" with the appropriate form of the verb “to be” elides the noun and verb, creating a short form.
Contractions sound informal and friendly, as if you are being spoken to on a personal level.
And ...
Its – a pronoun denoting ownership
Example:
The XYZ Company prepared its annual report.
The annual report belongs to the company. "Its" is the possessive form of the pronoun "it".
A careless misuse of these two words not only confuses the reader but gives the impression that the writer is: a) a poor grammarian b) stupid, c) sloppy.
Tip: Be sure the writer gets it right! Contractions are formed from verbs and require the use of an apostrophe to denote the missing letter(s).
