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LeicesterLad Posted 21 years ago
Vocabulary
Use of Apostrophe to imply possesion with "it"
I read in an archived thread recently that it is incorrect to use an apostrophe with the third-person neuter pronoun (ie "it") to imply possesion.
In other words, you shouldn't say - of a cat for example:
"It's fur is shiny and black"
Is this correct? If so, how then does one imply possesion for an object/animal/person when it has no gender or the gender is not known?
Does one have to use the more cumbersome: "The cat's fur is shiny and black" every time - even if the words "The cat" were used in the previous - or even the same - sentence?
In other words, you shouldn't say - of a cat for example:
"It's fur is shiny and black"
Is this correct? If so, how then does one imply possesion for an object/animal/person when it has no gender or the gender is not known?
Does one have to use the more cumbersome: "The cat's fur is shiny and black" every time - even if the words "The cat" were used in the previous - or even the same - sentence?
Top answer
" So, "Its fur is black," and Bob's your uncle. "
- " So, "Its fur is black," and Bob's your uncle.
- "
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1 Answers
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"It's" is the contraction of "it is."
"Its" is the third-person neuter possessive adjective, the equivalent of "his" and "her."
So, "Its fur is black," and Bob's your uncle.
Joe in France
"Language changes with use, but changes that diminish the power of the language to make distinctions should be avoided."
"Its" is the third-person neuter possessive adjective, the equivalent of "his" and "her."
So, "Its fur is black," and Bob's your uncle.
Joe in France
"Language changes with use, but changes that diminish the power of the language to make distinctions should be avoided."
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