Possessive Pronouns and Contractions: Common Mistakes in Writing

Many people make mistakes when writing possessive pronouns and contractions. If you are writing a lot of material in English you should make sure that you know when to use the correct form of a word. In this article I will go through the most common mistakes that even native English speakers sometime miss.

Its Vs. It's

Its: Contrary to normal English writing and rules, Its in this case, is the possessive form.
Example: This is its proper place

It's: "It's" is a contraction of it and is. Plainly speaking, It's = It is.
Example: Its going to be rain today.

Your Vs. You're

Your: This is a possessive pronoun.
Example: Is this your wallet?

You're: This is another contraction. You're = You are.
Example: You're going to learn how to use English properly.

Whose Vs. Who's

Whose: This is the possessive form of who.
Example: Whose keys are these?

Who's: This is a contraction. Who's = Who is.
Example: Who's going to make dinner?

Their Vs. They're Vs. There

Their: This is a possessive pronoun.
Example: That is their table.

They're: This is a contraction. They're= They are
Example: They're going to sit at that table.

There: There is a demonstrative pronoun. It indicates a place.
Example: the table is over there.

Extra Credit!
They're going to sit at their table over there.

These words are the most commonly misused in English writing. Try to keep these in mind when writing. In general when there is an apostrophe it is a contraction. This applies to actual words. When they are referring to proper nouns then it means possession of something.
Example: This is Cody's table.

Another not to make is that contractions are not normally used in formal writing. If you are writing an academic paper or something that requires higher English, do not use contractions.

There are many other categories and rules to keep in mind when writing. Another source of common spelling errors are homophones. This is another subject which is covered in another article. All of these topics covered are not corrected by Microsoft Word. Be very careful! These must be check manually or by an actual professional proofreader & editor.

There are many other common spelling errors and misuse of words in the English Language. For more information on proper use of English visit the resources page of Native English Solutions. If you have lots of trouble in using these words correctly or have other problems in writing properly you may want to take a look at a professional proofreader & editor. It can be well worth the money if the text needs to be perfect.

This article was written by Cody Lamson, Professional Proofreader and Editor.

Resources:Native English Solutions: A professional proofreading & editing Company