Hello, friends! I hope you’re staying healthy and happy, and that you’re practicing social distancing, sheltering in place, going out only for essential errands, and wearing a mask when you venture into public. It’s the right thing to do, so let’s all do it!
On to Part 2 in this two-part series on common language goofs. In Part 1, we covered it’s/its, which is by far the most common error. Today, we’re going to discuss the other three most common errors: who’s/whose, you’re/ your, and they’re/there/their. Let’s jump right in—and just like before, I promise that this’ll be fun!
Who’s/Whose
Luckily, a lot of what we’ve already covered in the “it’s/its” section will apply here, and to the rest of the tricky word groups, as well. Things should go along quite smoothly, because we’re going to see a lot of possessives and contractions from here on out. (Quick aside: if you’ve forgotten what I said about possessives and contractions in Part 1, it might be a good idea to go back and do a quick review, and then rejoin me here.)
The “who’s/whose” word pair is a lot like its “it’s/its” cousin. It’s not logical or intuitive, and you’re probably best off using your memory. Here’s the score:
“Who’s” is a contraction for “who is” or “who has.” Always. Without exception. And it’s never a possessive, ever, no matter how much you want it to be.
Who’s going with me? (who is)
Who’s left the water running? (who has)
I’d like to know who’s attending the meeting. (who is)
“Whose” is a possessive pronoun or adjective. (And for our purposes, just think of it as a plain old possessive, and don’t worry about the pronoun or adjective classifications – trust me, they don’t matter.)
Whose monkey is this?
Whose turn is it?
My dog, whose name is Annie, loves to play ball.
So again, just like with the word “it,” you never use an apostrophe to connote a possessive with the word “who.” An apostrophe always connotes a contraction, and the way to make “who” possessive is to use the word “whose.”
Wicked and tricky? Yes, but it’s totally worth knowing.
You’re/Your
We’re moving along quite nicely, aren’t we. We’re already on the third recalcitrant (I love that word) word pair. And this one’s going to be easy.
So, in this case, “you’re” is simply a contraction for, “you are.”
You’re in big trouble. (you are)
I think you’re going to like this. (you are)
I would like to know if you’re going. (you are)
And “your” means, “belonging to or associated with the person I’m addressing,” as in,
What’s your name?
Let’s go in your car.
I’d like to borrow your harmonica.
This one seems pretty simple, right? But here’s what I commonly see:
“I realize that your on vacation this week.”
A co-worker just wrote that to me in an email. (And yes, I actually am on vacation while I’m writing this article—that’s how much I love my work.)
“Your in good hands when you come to Uptown General Hospital.”
Well, maybe I’ll let you take out my appendix, but I’m not going to ask you any important grammar and usage questions while I’m there. (And, by the way, I actually saw this on a real hospital sign – a billboard, in fact.)
In both of these examples, we desperately need a “you’re.” And again, if you’re not sure, simply say the sentence to yourself using “you are” and see whether it makes sense. If so, go for it and use “you’re.” If not, then use “your.”
They’re/There/Their
Wow! We’re in the final stretch. And this one’s a piece of cake, because you already know so much about contractions and possessives.
“They’re” is a plain old, friendly contraction. You know them by now. In this case, it’s a contraction for “they are.”
They’re going to be late for the party. (they are)
I think they’re from Kalamazoo. (they are)
He says they’re finished with the report. (they are)
“There” is an adverb that means, “in or at that place.” (And don’t even worry about what an adverb is. You will never need to know, unless you plan to go back and do word-battle with evil Miss Pettigrew, your high school English teacher.)
Please put my hammer over there.
Run on ahead and I’ll find you there later.
There have been some beautiful sunsets on the beach this week.
“Their” is basically a possessive—you remember them, don’t you? In this case, it’s a little bit fancier; it’s called a possessive pronoun, but who cares at this point. It’s a possessive, and you use it that way.
I like their new album.
If I had their money, I’d move to Spain.
Their cat had six kittens.
So there you have it. See? I told you this would be fun. If you can nail these four bad boys in your everyday correspondence, you’ll be articulate and promotion-ready. And you’ll be able to dazzle your friends with your newfound word knowledge at the next cocktail party!
(Um, don’t really try and impress your friends with this stuff – it’s never gonna work for you. Or if it does, it might be time to find some new, more exciting friends.)