Okay, I've had it. Now listen up:
I've just read my 4,957th otherwise-intelligent and articulate Christian blogger misusing the word "it's," when he should have used "its."
It's not that hard.
If you want to use a pronoun, use "its." "Its" means "belonging to it." As in, "I put the TNIV back in its place, and left the bookstore, shaking my head in disgust."
ONLY use "it's" when you mean "it is." It's a contraction; it's short for "it is." As in, "All Christians should reject the TNIV roundly, since it's such an illegitimate monstrosity."
You don't write "hi's" when you mean "belonging to him," and you don't use "her's" when you mean "belonging to her." (Or I dearly hope you don't.)
So stop using "it's" when you mean "belonging to it."
Okay? Got that?
Just stop it!
That is all.
PS -- don't even get me started on the use of "their" (plural possessive pronoun) as a gutless, unthinking, PC-substitute for "he" (singular possessive pronoun) -- as in, "Everyone [get that -- "every one -- every single one] should read their [belonging to more than one] Bible."
Thursday, September 07, 2006
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21 comments:
Its really annoying, I agree.
Don't make me come over there.
And thanks for clowning yourself.
And before she asks, tell your wife No, it wasn't her blog.
I don't know if I am guilty of its or it's at times but I have pet peeves that drive me crazy too. People call Arminians, Armenians, use there isntead of their, or...you're instead of your or vice versa. Ugh.
Heh.
You don't know how quickly I went to my blog and searched for "its" and "it's". It totally bugs me too.
...not that you read my blog... or even consider it a Christian blog.
That reminds me, I spelled "irrigation" like "irragation" twice on my backyard blog. I was ashamed.
Ooh, yes: "their/they're." Now that's another one that should be simple; ditto "your/you're."
I more hear "Armenians" than see it, but that's a classic.
Oh, now, Chris -- aren't you feeling the love? I do go to your blog. But since you only post every 87 days....
No, I don't think that the person who finally set me off visits this blog. Not sure, though.
It's not a major, MAJOR thing. You know, like... oh, I don't know. Bringing an NIV to a Men's Fellowship meeting?
(c;
weeping with great heaving sobs of complete and utter humiliation
I'm guilty of the their/his crime. I didn't even know it was a crime. Do I get time off for being ig-nert? Sir?
Several months ago a friend of mine nearly lost it with one of her pet peeves - folks who spell a lot, as one word: alot. I was also guilty of that grammatical crime against all things literate, and immediately repented.
Her tirade worked, and so will yours.
I stand corrected Brother Booyah, sir.
:o)
Dan,
You'd better watch it. I'm thinking of bringing my NIV to the Reformation Bash... dressed as a Papal Dog.
That raises an interesting question in my mind. On Halloween, which is worse: a Devil's costume or Pope's costume?
Buggy:
Please don't annoy my friends. It isn't nice.
Dan, have you ever read the book Eats Shoots and Leaves? It's a book about punctuation predicaments.
And how did you know that the first thing I would think is "was it me?"
People would avoid this error if they chose not to use contractions. I try to avoid them if I can. Yeah, it probably makes me sound like an uptight person, but when the grammar fits...
Please, Lord, don't let it be me...
its me, its me...... I confess!!!!
Forgive me for this.... Their is no excuse!
So...your a grammatimatition in edition to been a theologician?
Hoot, Hoot for Gordon!
Dan,
I thank you. My English professor thanks you. My German professor thanks you. My mother thanks you...
Its me, isnt' it? I have dreadful punctation until Dan proof-reads me :)
Oh, Libbie, Ray, Gummby, Carla -- it's one of those situations where if you think it's you, it almost certainly isn't!
Naomi Fferiwhangelorigen -- you're most welcome. In a few moments, I will take up the abominable subject of "impacted," used as a verb and not referring to colons or teeth. Then I will give the invitation.
And let me add that I once intentionally removed an apostrophe from a pub blackboard. Percifully I have yet to meet a church notice board with an apostrophe standing where it ought not to be.
its time for an annoying comment in hi's blog about how its not hard to put a TNIV bible back in it's place because its such an illegitimate monstrosity.
Wow. All those big names... Wrong!
(c;
Dan, my respect for you is growing exponentially.
I do not believe that you read my blog, but just in case, please understand that I grew up in Oklahoma so English is my second language.
However, I do take pleasure in the fact that my grammar is better than that of the characters in Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.
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