Brawny
Anglophobiphile
suite101.com said:There, their and they’re. This is a common point of confusion for many writers, especially they’re and there. I always remember it this way: They’re going over there to get their car. They’re is a conjunction of they and are – apostrophes (‘) always take the place of a letter that has been dropped, and in this case, it is the “a” in are. “There” is directional, as you can see with the “here” contained in the word. And “their” denotes possession, as you can see with the “heir” in the word, as a “heir” is someone who takes possession of something.
suite101.com said:Its and it’s. Again, the apostrophe in “it’s” takes the place of something, and it is the “i” in “it is.” “It’s” stands for “it is,” as in “It’s going to be a long day.” If you can substitute “it is” for “it’s,” then you need the version with the apostrophe. If you are trying to denote possession, as in “the car needs its radio tuner set,” then you do not need the apostrophe.
suite101.com said:Semicolons. The general rule is that semicolons are used to connect two independent clauses – in other words, two sentences that could stand on their own. For example, instead of writing, “It was cold the other day. We all wore our heavy coats.”, you could write, “It was cold the other day; we all wore our heavy coats.” Each of these sentences could stand on their own, but to use a period, it sounds choppy. By using a semicolon, it makes the writing flow better. Semicolons are generally a stylistic choice. However, to use a comma in this case would be incorrect.
You're and your. You're is a contraction of YOU ARE. Your is a possessive adjective.
Affect and effect. We'll have to go back to elementary grammar class for this one. A verb is a word which shows action or state of being. A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea/quality. Affect is a verb; it shows something AFFECTING something else. Effect is a noun. A good way to notice a noun is if THE, A, or AN is in front of it.
A run through of this is a great tool. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/interact/g_affecteffect.html
It's and its. I understand how the apostrophe may confuse some of you, but in this case it represents another missing letter: I. It's stands for it is, and its is the possessive form of it.
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