Its is not it’s
January 10, 2008
The poor condition of our educational system is indicated by grammatical errors that cannot be forgiven.
With alarming and increasing frequency, I observe seemingly educated writers using it’s when they should be using its and vice versa. I see this error everywhere. It’s driving me bananas.
When I encounter this error, I question the remaining content of an article. I wonder if the writer knows what he’s talking about.
This morning, it’s this passage: “with it’s hands tied, the Fed can no longer…” Should I believe anything this writer says about the Fed if he does not know basic grammar?
It’s is a contraction of “it is.” Its is a possessive pronoun, showing ownership or possession.
The Fed has its hands tied. It’s easy to understand that its hands are tied and that it’s wrong to say it has “it’s hands tied.”
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