Contractions Vs. Possessive Pronouns:

1. ContractionsVs. Possessive Pronouns: Three Troublesome Pairs

2. Have you ever struggled with choices like these when you write sentences? • The puppy chased (it’s or its) tail. • (You’re or Your) my closest friend. • (Who’s or Whose) bike is in the garage?

3. Well, you are not alone. Many people confuse these pairs of words all the time: • it’sandits • you’reandyour • who’sandwhose

4. It’s, you’re, and who’s all contain an apostrophe. These 3 words are contractions. Its, your, and whose do NOT contain an apostrophe. These 3 words are possessive pronouns. The most obvious difference between the words in each pair is the apostrophe ( ‘ ) mark:

5. Two Words It isorIt has You are Who isorWho has Contraction It’s—apostrophe replaces the i in is or the ha in has It’s time to begin. (It is) It’s been a long day. (It has) You’re—apostrophe replaces the a in are You’re bothering me. (You are) Who’s—apostrophe replaces the iin is or the ha in has Who’s ready to begin? (Who is) Who’s seen my keys? (Who has) Contractions join two words into one. In the process, one or more letters are left out, and an apostrophe replaces these letters.

6. Possessive pronouns are pronouns that show ownership or possession. They DO NOT need an apostrophe to show ownership, unlike nouns, which DO need an apostrophe to show ownership:Possessive Pronoun---His car (pronoun with no ‘s)Possessive Noun---Bob’s car (noun with an ‘s)

7. Possessive Pronoun Its—no apostrophe The kitten could not find its squeak toy. Your---no apostrophe I like your taste in clothes. Whose---no apostrophe We don’t know whose car is parked in the fire lane. Meaning Belonging to it Belonging to you Belonging to whom

8. There is an easy substitution test you can use in order to choose the correct word in the following troublesome pairs.

9. The puppy chased (it’s or its) tail. Substitute it is or it has. If the sentence makes sense, then use the contraction, it’s. If it doesn’t make sense, then use the possessive pronoun, its. The puppy chased it is tail. The puppy chased it has tail. L Sentence makes no sense, so use its. The puppy chased its tail. ü

10. (You’re or Your) my closest friend. Substitute You are. If the sentence makes sense, then use the contraction, You’re. If it doesn’t make sense, then use the possessive pronoun, Your. You are my closest friend. J Sentence makes sense, so use You’re. You’re my closest friend. ü

11. (Who’s or Whose) bike is in the garage? Substitute Who is or Who has. If the sentence makes sense, then use the contraction, Who’s. If it doesn’t make sense, then use the possessive pronoun, Whose. Who is bike is in the garage? Who has bike is in the garage? L Sentence makes no sense, so use Whose. Whose bike is in the garage?ü

12. Remember to use this substitution rule, and you’ll ALWAYS make the right choice!

13. The bird prepared (its, it’s) nest for (its, it’s) young.

14. (You’re, Your) going to enter the poster contest, aren’t you?

15. Is (your, you’re) robot able to move (it’s, its) arm?

16. Chase Leroy Yang, (your, you’re) a fantastic mouser. No mouse lives within our house for long!

17. “The headline reads, PILEUP ON THE INTERSTATE. (It’s, Its) a very small article” (Unwind, 58).

18. “I’m about to take off when I think of my snares. Maybe (it’s, its) imprudent to check them with the others so close. But I have to (The Hunger Games, 164).

19. If (your, you’re) going to the picnic, sign up here.

20. Chewbacca (your, you’re) getting too big! I’m putting you on a diet.