Off Topic: English grammar

[pasternakski]

ORIGINAL: Halsey

The twenty-seco(nd) [8D] Its' (possessive) [8D] It's- it is (abv) [8D]
The cat's playing. (abv)
The cats' toy. (possessive)
The cats are playing. (plural)

Where is this teacher from?[X(]

Hold it, Halsey. Cats' means "belonging to the cats." It is a plural possessive. Cat's is the correct way to express "belonging to the cat," singular.

It's is a contraction of "it is," not an abbreviation.

There is no such thing as its'. The cat's playing could describe how the cat sounds on the piano ("Man, that cat can cut a groove") but not much else.

[Pustov]

American English is Illogical.... and it also sucks.[:'(]

[Pier5]

At last! Now we know who taught Brady to spell.

Pier5

[DrewMatrix]

The Ultimate Authority on United States English (there are different rules of grammar in British English and any Brit here can chime in on the final authority on British English) is:

"Elements of Style" by Strunk and White. But "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" is lots funnier [:D]

[byron13]

ORIGINAL: pasternakski

ORIGINAL: Halsey

The twenty-seco(nd) [8D] Its' (possessive) [8D] It's- it is (abv) [8D]
The cat's playing. (abv)
The cats' toy. (possessive)
The cats are playing. (plural)

Where is this teacher from?[X(]

Hold it, Halsey. Cats' means "belonging to the cats." It is a plural possessive. Cat's is the correct way to express "belonging to the cat," singular.

It's is a contraction of "it is," not an abbreviation.

There is no such thing as its'. The cat's playing could describe how the cat sounds on the piano ("Man, that cat can cut a groove") but not much else.

Yup, same mistake as made before. While plural possessives will place the apostrophe after the "s", e.g., the birds' wings (or the cats' toy), it don't happen that way with its. "Its" is the possessive form of it, and there aren't no apostrophe.

Note that, as Pasternatski pointed out, its and it's are kind of the exception. Contractions and singular possessives are usually done the same way: "cat's" could either be a contraction of "cat is" or the possessive form of cat. Thus, "The cat's dead meat" could mean that cat is dead meat or we may discussing the dead meat belonging to the cat. Hypothetically, speaking of course, in medieval English and even in some Gallic tongues, the term cat . . . never mind.

[byron13]

Ya know, Knaust, you have absolutely, positively come to the wrong place for advice on grammar.

[pasternakski]

Just a quick aside on its. Its is always singular, of course. The plural third-party pronoun possessive that requires an object is "their."

[Tankerace]

Me fail English? That unpossible.

[DrewMatrix]

Do you realize we are all so bored, sitting here waiting for the 1.30 patch, that we are actually discussing spelling and punctuation?

[byron13]

ORIGINAL: pasternakski

Just a quick aside on its. Its is always singular, of course. The plural third-party pronoun possessive that requires an object is "their."

Not to be confused with "they're" . . . [;)]

[Oliver Heindorf]

ORIGINAL: Tankerace

Me fail English? That unpossible.

[Oznoyng]

ORIGINAL: RevRick

I would find a good Grammar book, Warriners comes to mind - notate the page(s), and send that lovely bit of misinformed miseducation to the schools department head, cc's to the Principal, and each member of the local School Board. That is attrocious.

I disagree. Show the grammar book to the teacher, then followup with the principal and school board only if the teacher refuses to "see the light" or you get a distinct impression of stupidity when you talk to him. So many people, both here and in life, want to kill a gnat with nukes.

Yes, the teacher was wrong *on this issue*. How many issues has the teacher been right on? How many of you have ever been wrong? How many of you are perfect in every act and manner of your being? How many of you are willing to be held to the standard you want to apply to the teacher? Are you willing to judge a potentially good teacher on the one mistake they make versus the 95 other positive things that they do in educating your grandchild?

In the end, the proper approach might be to do as suggested. However, the first approach needs to be a shot across the bow with a .50 cal, not a salvo of 16" gunfire.

[Tankerace]

ORIGINAL: Oznoyng

In the end, the proper approach might be to do as suggested. However, the first approach needs to be a shot across the bow with a .50 cal, not a salvo of 16" gunfire.

[:D] Spaceballs

"Fire a warning shot, across her nose."
"I said across her nose, NOT up it!"

[sprior]

ORIGINAL: byron13

ORIGINAL: pasternakski

Just a quick aside on its. Its is always singular, of course. The plural third-party pronoun possessive that requires an object is "their."

Not be confused with "they're" . . . [;)]

Or there

[Pier5]

Arrrgh! You peasant! It's "From where is this teacher."[:D]

Pier5

[tsimmonds]

There is no such thing as its'. The cat's playing could describe how the cat sounds on the piano ("Man, that cat can cut a groove") but not much else.

How about "That GD cat's playing outside my bedroom door woke me up this morning at four o'clock." (the playing of the cat)

[tsimmonds]

Arrrgh! You peasant! It's "From where is this teacher."

Out-of-Towner: "Where's the train station at?"
City Slicker: "Around here, we do not end our sentences with a preposition."
Out-of-Towner: "Oh. Okay. Where's the train station at, a**hole?"

[byron13]

ORIGINAL: irrelevant

Arrrgh! You peasant! It's "From where is this teacher."

Out-of-Towner: "Where's the train station at?"
City Slicker: "Around here, we do not end our sentences with a preposition."
Out-of-Towner: "Oh. Okay. Where's the train station at, a**hole?"

I've been told something similar happened to Churchill. He put a preposition at the end of a sentence in conversation and was immediately corrected by one lady. Something to the effect of "you shouldn't end your sentences/phrases with a preposition. His response: "That is something up with which I shall not put."

Actually, it should be: "From whence cometh this teacher?"

[donkuchi19]

Don't always blame the teacher. While this one is wrong, I have been challenged enough times by overzealous parents swearing their kid is right or couldn't have done that. I like to think that I do my job well enough that my students are ready for anything when they leave 5nd [:D] grade.

I teach Science and Language Arts to 5th graders. It is not always easy to control 28 10 and 11 year olds so that they can learn what they are supposed to learn. I think I do pretty well but not all of the parents do.

It's means It is.
Its means belongs to it.
Theirs means belongs to them.
Their's means their is. (Which is incorrect because it should be There's)
They're means they are
2th I don't think I could even pronounce it (I'm straight)

This teacher does need to be corrected but remember that he/she is a person too. Don't go in there all superior because they will get defensive and it will cause a confrontation. If he/she gets all superior, talk with the principal.

[DrewMatrix]

2th I don't think I could even pronounce it

Go stand in front of a mirror. Grin. See all those white things coming out of your gums? The things that chew food? Those are 2ths ("2ths" is the plural, 2th is when you only refer to one of them as in "I have a 2th ake")

Note:

2ths means more than one 2th

2th's means "2th is" as in "My 2th's chipped"

The possesive of 2th is irregular, however. "Tether"

"Is that metal you spit out your tether filling?"

(Some confuse "tether" the plural of 2th with "tother" meaning "not this one: "I don't want that donut. I want tother."