The Pronoun Trap

Few matters of English usage give people more trouble than the proper forms of certain pronouns, yet few matters are more basic. We use these pronouns every day and in the simplest forms of communication. To be considered literate, one must follow these rules.

n The word it's means "it is." The possessive form of it is its (no apostrophe). There is no such word as its' (its with an apostrophe after the s).

It's easy to remember this. Contraction: It is easy.

The dog wags its tail. Possessive: the tail belonging to the dog (it).

n The word they're means "they are." The possessive form of they is their.**

They're out to lunch. Contraction: They are out to lunch.

Dogs wag their tails. Possessive: the tails belonging to the dogs (them).

n The word you're means "you are." The possessive form of you is your.

You're crazy. Contraction: You are crazy.

Can you wag your tail? Possessive: the tail belonging to you.

n The word who's means "who is." The possessive form of who is whose.

Who's coming to dinner? Contraction: Who is coming to dinner?

Whose hat is this? Possessive: the hat belonging to whom?

It's, they're, you're, and who's are contractions — two words compressed into one, with the apostrophe representing an omitted letter.

pronoun forms

nominative objective possessive

Singular I me my / mine

you you your / yours

he him his

she her her / hers

it it its

Plural we us our / ours

you you your / yours

they them their / theirs

Note that there are no such words as your's, her's, our's, or their's. The possessive forms of these words are yours, hers, ours, and theirs.

**The word "there" is, of course, something entirely different. It is used as an adverb to designate place ("over there") or as an expletive ("there is," "there are," etc.).

Rich Turner