Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/04/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>On 4/8/02 firkin@balhpl01.ncable.net.au wrote: > >>> Uh, Ted, may I politely remind you that it's is a shortening of "it is" and >>> you should have typed "its"? Thus, you've typed "just twist the ring to it >>> is closest focus point". > >>I suspect you are wrong as well -- should it be its'? In any case, with all >>the e-mail shortenings why pick on a silly compromise rule for a language >>which doesn't have enough words ;-) > >no, he's right > >"its'" would be the possesive plural of "it", which makes no sense at all > >from: <http://www.bartleby.com/64/C003/0185.html> > >The American HeritageŽ Book of English Usage. >A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996. > >"3. Word Choice: New Uses, Common Confusion, and Constraints >§ 185. its / it's >Its is the possessive form of the pronoun it and is never written with an >apostrophe: The cat licked its paws. The contraction it's (for it is or >it has) always has an apostrophe: It's the funniest show I've seen in years." > >-- >John Brownlow Yes, I've also looked it up, and humbly stand corrected ;-), but it's OK now, I'm over it. - -- Alastair Firkin http://www.afirkin.com http://www.familyofman2.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html