After getting rather tired of seeing "it's" being used when
"its" was
called for,
I decided to keep track of instances of this misuse that I run into on the web.
It seems that many people just don't realize that the only time
"it's"
is needed
is when the words "it" and "is" (or "has") are
being contracted. ("It's" = "It is"
or "It has."
The word "its" signifies possession, and needs no apostrophe. (Nor
do these
words need one: yours, his, hers, theirs, and ours.) I guess the confusion
stems from the fact that the apostrophe is used to show possession by a
noun, as in "the flower's petals."
When I decided to see if this topic was being discussed on Usenet, and looked up
"misuse of apostrophe" on Dejanews, I was surprised to find that
there was a
whole newsgroup devoted to this issue!
Contributions are welcome!! So if you run across any
(from non-personal pages) which you would like to have added to this page,
please send me the URL. kathy at the domain fred.net
Other Its/It's Info
December 4, 2015 - saw in an article about Pawpaws from PRI:
Meet the pawpaw, America's forgotten fruit
"The pawpaw's short shelf life and it's fragility also explain its absence
from the nation’s grocery store"
February 22, 2014 - found on today's Weekend Edition Sunday page:
A
Greek Town Nervously Watches It's Russian Fur Trade Falter
It is possible that this will be fixed at a future time, but this is how
the story was
headlined the day it was broadcast.
November 16, 2011 - from a write-up on the Diane Rehm Show page about a
program
on Caravaggio:
"Caravaggio was one of Europe’s greatest artists. He was also one of
it's most flawed."
From an f-secure page:
After
this, Poison Ivy connects back to it's server at good.mincesur.com.
The domain mincesur.com has been used in similar espionage attacks over an
extended period of time.
Reported by Scott N. in September 2008 -
"...except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's inspection
Laws" or as seen here in the next to last paragraph in a
typed
version from Cornell.
Found on October 11, 2007 -
http://shepherdstownriverfront.org/:
"Honoring it's place in our history — Creating it's place in our
future."
Found on January 12, 2007 - Thomas
Jefferson in a letter to Madison:
"I told him I was not at liberty to permit any alteration, but I would
represent his objection to a friend who could judge of it’s validity,"
"I will venture to assert that there is not one of it’s opposers who,
placed on this ground, would not see the wisdom of this measure."
Found on May 4, 2005 -
http://www.teamuse.com/article_040501.html
- For generations after this, Rooibos tea was enjoyed (primarily by the
South Africans) for it's cool, sweet, refreshing flavor.
Found on September 28, 2004 -
http://www.shepherd.edu/pickweb/
"SGA President Wants Student Senate to Find it's Voice"
Also in
the
same Sept. 8 issue of the paper on page 10 was: "Computer Gaming at
it's
best"
Found on September 18, 2003 - http://www.foreverflashlights.com/
"Since it's inception, others have tried to mimic the Forever Flashlight."
Found on August 3, 2003 -
www.maryfahl.com
Mary Fahl's striking voice with it's wide range...
Found on October 20, 2002 - www.trailplace.com/editorial/index.html
It's main point is that, to cut down on the "flame wars"
that had begun to
predominate on that list, the list owner promised to make donations to ATC
if list members would act decent toward one another.
Found on September 2, 2002 -
http://www.kustomkruiser.com/catalog/roadster.html
"With it's low slung frame and raked-out springer fork, the Roadster is a
real curbhugger."
Found on January 28, 2002 -
http://www.communitycommons.org/2nd-watershed.htm
"Community Commons will kick off it's 2nd Annual
Getting to Know Your Watershed lecture series..."
Found on May 25, 2000 -
http://www.hase-spezialraeder.de/lepus/lepusstarte.htm - "Due to it's
adjustment possibilities,..."
Found on March 30, 2000 -
http://www.anserc.org/aclt/aclt.htm
- "The corporation purchased it's first tract of land of 395 acres in
October 1987."
Found on March 27, 2000 -
http://www.chesbaynet.com/charles.htm -
"...the southern portion of the county is surprisingly, a relatively rural
and
sparsely populated area
where it's natural beauty is enjoyed by boaters and tourists alike."
Found on December 31, 1999 -
http://www.keynote.com/measures/millennium/y2k.html - "With the
crossing of the Millennium into it's second time zone ..."
Reported on October 8, 1999 by Paul Bilton:
www.cyberdream.co.uk/~eels/pricing.html - "Course Fee's"
Found on May 18, 1999 at url:
http://wxnet4.nbc4.com/chap2/pollendc.html
"Pollen begins to rear it's ugly head in the Mid-Atlantic
in the middle of March."
Found on March 15, 1999 at url:
http://www2.bluemountain.com/home/hoax.html
"... it's e-mail notifications are only text messages.."
Found on February 7, 1999 at url:
http://www.beatlebrunch.com/
"To experience this site to it's fullest potential"
Found on January 28,1999 at url:
http://www.theweatherstation.com/map1.html
"Click on your favorite park for it's website..."
Found on January 24, 1999 at url:
http://www.linuxmall.com/refund/
"For all refund-related comments and ideas, use the slashdot article and
it's related discussion mentioned above for now. Thanks!"
Found on June 28, 1998 at url:
http://www.luckman.com/products/anonymouscookie/accfaq.html
"...switch back into non-anonymous mode for the
site to read it's cookies and allow you normal access."
Found on August 27, 1998 at url:
http://www.codo.com/browserola/faq.html#why_these_browsers
NSCA's Mosaic certainly has it's place in history
Found on June 27, 1998 at url:
http://www.DataFellows.com/v-deses/agent.htm
"However, the most disturbing part of the virus is in it's activation
routine."
Found on April 18, 1998 at URL:
http://wren.supernews.com/
"To choose a newsgroup to read, enter all or most of it's name in the box below."
Found on April 2, 1998 at URL:
http://pimall.com/digdirt/mo00007.htm
"...we trace it¹s official location and owner..."
Found December 2, 1997 at URL:
http://www.linux.org/dist/index.html
"Each of these distributions has it's own feature
set, and some are geared towards specific types of computer
systems." (Second sentence on page)
Found November 25, 1997 at URL:
http://www.wamu.org/dmsarc/dmsarc_112497.html
"As the U.S. Air Force celebrates it's 50th.
anniversary, a new book entitled....." (Second hour of the Tuesday show)
Found November 16, 1997 at URL:
http://www.paradise-web.com/paradise.mirage
WebSite Search Engine:
"Paradise is now offering the worlds only served SiteSearch program. Awesome for
cataloging your site and it's contents!"
Found November 10, 1997 at URL:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/index3.html
"For information about the state of Maryland, it's people, tourism, businesses,
and government visit the Electronic Capital. "
Found November 8, 1997 at URL:
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/dg.small/start.htm
"At 67 miles it is the biggest undertaking of it's kind in the country."
Found October 31, 1997 at URL:
http://www.gorp.com/gorp/eclectic/disabled.htm
"Paul Bunyan Trail - The longest paved "Rails to Trails" in the nation winds
from it's source in Brainerd-Baxter, Minn., north to Lake Bemidji State Park."
Reported by Linda Thrasher on
October 27, 1997:
http://starlitecafe.pair.com/tales/along_the_rivers_edge.html
10th line of poem: "but death as well can find it's way."
Found September 27, 1997 at URL:
http://www.npr.org/inside/press/970924.chat.html
"National Public Radio® Online announces two major additions to it's online
presence at http: www.npr.org. The first is live chat."
Found October 2, 1997 at URL:
http://www.epa.gov/surf/iwi/ a .gif
including words that enshrine an incorrect use of "it's."
"Locate your watershed to view it's index." NOTE: On October 12, I found that the apostrophe
had been removed. Possibly the webmaster studies the logs regularly, determined that there was a link to his or her page from this page, saw what I had found, and subsequently made the correction. Who knows??
Found October 12, 1997 at URL:
http://www.brainerd.com/pbtrail/past.html, a page about the Paul Bunyan
Trail.
"This new trail will ultimately link 16 communities between it's source in
Brainerd/Baxter and Lake Bemidji State Park on the north."
Found October 12, 1997 at URL:
http://www.potomac.org/links.shtml#canal
"Thanks to the following specifically, and to all the volunteers and
those who contributed, for the outpouring of support for the C&O Canal and
the Potomac Conservancy's efforts in it's restoration!"
Found October 15, 1997 at URL:
http://www.nps.gov/gwmp/grfa/", an NPS page for the George Washington
Memorial Parkway.
"The park is known for two things, it's scenic beauty at the head of Potomac
River fall line and the historic Patowmack Canal."
Misc...
Sunday, October 12, 1997
Orioles, Indians Engage in Classic Pitchers's Duel
By Thomas Boswell
Washington Post Staff Writer; page A01
CLEVELAND, Oct. 11—Ladies and gentlemen, we have a
new candidate for Most Amazing Baseball Game Ever
Played.
From: Washington Post website.
|