14 dec 04
A passage from Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, by Lynne Truss, also known as my new favorite book:
The rule is: the word “it’s” (with apostrophe) stands for “it is” or “it has”. If the word does not stand for “it is” or “it has” then what you require is “its”. This is extremely easy to grasp… If you still persist in writing, “Good food at it’s best”, you deserve to be struck by lightning, hacked up on the spot and buried in an unmarked grave.
This is the best book ever.
teresa / 14 dec 2004 / 11:50 p.m.
Wow, I really need to buy that book. I couldn’t agree more. I have problems with people misspelling wierd and getting “there”, “they’re” and “their” confused. Same thing with “your” and “you’re”. They are contractions! How can people misuse them?
Kurtis / 14 dec 2004 / 11:54 p.m.
Ever since I found out that the really cute girl in my english class likes that book, it seems like it’s being mentioned everywhere!
Matthew / 15 dec 2004 / 1:46 a.m.
I read this aloud to my friends. I’m especially fond of “This is extremely easy to grasp”.
I hate it when people do that. Hate it hate it hate it!!!
Erika / 15 dec 2004 / 6:19 a.m.
I dedicate that passage you read to JN, who loves to make the it’s/its error in unimportant documents…like proposals and contracts.
P.S. I get absolutely NO credit for introducing you to the greatest book EVER?!?
jarno / 15 dec 2004 / 9:53 a.m.
Is this actually a big problem in the US? I mean, I’m swedish and it seems that these rules are quite basic when it comes to learning to write in english. Am I wrong?
jasmine / 15 dec 2004 / 2:48 p.m.
I’ve been lurking for a good amount of time now. I think your site is legendary.
Anyway, it IS annoying as all hell when people do that. Annoying! Almost as annoying as that your/you’re thing.
Neige / 16 dec 2004 / 8:05 p.m.
I have that book and sleep with it next to my bed every night. I have laminated the dust cover to make it last forever and occasionally swear by it.
deb / 18 dec 2004 / 7:56 a.m.
I am having such a scizmatic relationship with that book! When it came out, I jumped on it, worshipped it, repeated entire passages to my boyfriend. Then, he showed me a New Yorker review that ripped it to shreds, pointing out all sorts of incorrect rules, grammatical errors and inconsistencies and I couldn’t bring myself to finish it. I wimped out and I don’t even like the New Yorker!
Eric / 14 dec 2004 / 10:58 p.m.
I nearly bought that book at B&N with a gift card I have. Might get it the next time I’m in the mood for a book.