Essays

THE CASE OF ITS V. IT'S

The confusion between its and it's seems to have reached epidemic proportions in the last few years, whether in quality advertising, slick magazines, various newsletters, reputable newspapers, as well as on numerous billboards. The apostrophe is used much more often than is correctly required. I don't know about you, but it's (or its?) bothered me for some time
The problem doesn't seem to be when to insert an apostrophe, but when to omit it. It lies with not knowing the difference between a contraction (it's) -- which is a short cut for it is or it has--, and a possessive pronoun (its), which indicates that something belongs to someone or with something else.

Whenever you wonder whether to use its or it's, just ask yourself the following question: Would the sentence have the same meaning if I replaced it's with "it is" or "it has"? If the answer is yes, the apostrophe can stay. If the answer is no, remove it. For instance, how would this sound: "I don't want this book because it is edges are frayed?" Obviously, "it's" (contraction of "it is") wouldn't make sense, so it should be "its” (possessive pronoun), because you are talking about the edges of the book.

Another way to determine whether the apostrophe should be left out, that is if what you really want is the possessive pronoun (its), is to try replacing the word with another similar pronoun, such as “my”. If the sentence still makes sense, keep the apostrophe out. For instance, how would this sound: “I told you to stay out because my not safe inside.” Obviously, “it’s” (contraction of “it is”) is the correct answer, since as it reads now makes no sense at all, therefore “it” would be incorrect.

The following is a little quiz to illustrate the above and help you practice. Fill in the answer in the four examples below, and compare them to the answers provided. Once you think it through, you will always get it right.

a/ The Cotton Tree Inn is pleased to announce _____ union with Best Western International.

b/ Because of the near miss we had with the car last night, we have decided _____ time to replace _____ brakes.

c/ If a toothpick inserted in _____ center comes out clean, you know _____ time to take the cake out of the oven.

d/ _____ too late to start worrying about _____ destination now.

For those who have similar problems with "your" and "you're", “their” and “they’re” and the like -- all cases of the difference between a possessive pronoun and a sound-alike contraction --, just follow the above principles which apply to all these examples.

Since there is no longer any excuse for such offensive misuse of the humble apostrophe, let's all go now, and sin no more.

Answers: a/ = its b/ = it's and its c/ = its and it's d/ = it's and its

Yurt in a Vacation Resort in Southern France

Reading the real estate ads in various media, or listening to conversations at parties or meetings between people of various social strata, one would be misled into believing that “house” is synonym of “home.” Are we to believe then, that residents of condominiums, townhouses, villas, rented apartments, modular homes or trailers are homeless?

According to the www.dictionary.com website, a home is “ house, apartment, or other shelter that is the usual residence of a person, family, or household, and the place in which one's domestic affections are centered.” The same website cites a house as “a building where people live, or used for any purpose.”

So pervasive is that ill-conceived notion that it has become a part of the vernacular: "We're getting ready to sell our condo to buy a home". or "They have outgrown their home and want to move into a condo".

I find irritating the arrogance contained in such statements which imply that moving into a house is a step up, and out of one a step down. Where did this elitist notion come from, which planted in our societal conscience the seed that the one is better than the other?

Are we to believe that only single-family houses -- as structures with a foundation and no shared walls with any other dwelling -- are worthy of being called homes? Is moving from an apartment, condominium or townhouse, to a freestanding house, to be construed as the ultimate step up the societal housing ladder? Is a 3,000 square-foot luxury condominium still a step down from a 1,500 square-foot one story free-standing structure?

Gypsy roulotte in Vacation Resort in Southern France

Maybe the real estate industry ought to revise its marketing strategy and adjust its lingo to match our internal realities. Home is an abstract concept -- not a physical structure --, an emotional reality which is the glue holding the roots of daily life together. The word represents the nest where we find our very own pillow at night; the place that harbors the familiar things that illustrate our life journeys. It commemorates our personal histories with souvenirs and artwork picked up in all the places we’ve traveled to; or gifts from loved ones; or framed photos of our favorite scenery or people.

Any structure -- whether on one floor or on several, free-standing or with shared walls and common areas -- can be, is a home. So long as, for those who live in it, it's the base, no matter the square footage, where we start and end our days, and can shed all our other personae. Whether it comes with a private garage, a covered one or none at all, in a city or a suburb.

I have moved many times in my life, sometimes willingly, sometimes not; within or out of a given state (I have lived in seven of them); alone or with a partner, with or without children; in comfortable surroundings of my choosing, or sharing a house with another woman because I was broke.

When we return to the place where we can take off the various hats we have to wear every day when we are out in the world, even a tent will qualify as a suitable shelter, and thus deserves to be called “home.”

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