[Elecraft] Use of ITS vs IT'S
Hello everyone, It's been a long time since my last post to the reflector, but I currently have lots of time on my hands (maybe too much)while my broken left arm (upper end of humerus bone) mends. I hope you will read this in the way it is indended - - simply for information, not criticism. The Elecraft reflector is one of the best I've ever read. Its users are thoughtful and well-informed IMHO. But I cannot resist the urge to clarify the difference between two frequently misspelled or misused homonyms: ITS and IT'S. The contraction it's literally means it is. However, as I recall from the tough syntax lessons I learned, the possessive pronoun its takes no apostrophe to indicate the possessive sense we intend. Thanks for the bandwidth, and drop me a note if you'd care to indulge me in a CW QSO. But be warned: even a broken left arm makes CW tough to generate, even for a right-handed ham :~). 73, Steve Banks K0PQ ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] Use of ITS vs IT'S
Ha, ha! I'm a professional writer who makes that mistake a lot - in quickly-composed e-mails! There's a huge difference between formal and informal writing! I'd be sorry if anyone to hesitated to add a post because their English skills might not be quite up to the highest standards of formal writing. One of the beauties of human language, including English, is its (note the lack of an apostrophe) high level of redundancy that allows us to use wrong words, leave out words (one of my most common e-mail mistakes) or to occasionally throw in a punctuation mark incorrectly, yet the meaning remains crystal clear. E-mails are, to me, more like casual conversation than writing. Thankfully! Hope your arm heals quickly. Ron AC7AC -Original Message- Hello everyone, It's been a long time since my last post to the reflector, but I currently have lots of time on my hands (maybe too much)while my broken left arm (upper end of humerus bone) mends. I hope you will read this in the way it is indended - - simply for information, not criticism. The Elecraft reflector is one of the best I've ever read. Its users are thoughtful and well-informed IMHO. But I cannot resist the urge to clarify the difference between two frequently misspelled or misused homonyms: ITS and IT'S. The contraction it's literally means it is. However, as I recall from the tough syntax lessons I learned, the possessive pronoun its takes no apostrophe to indicate the possessive sense we intend. Thanks for the bandwidth, and drop me a note if you'd care to indulge me in a CW QSO. But be warned: even a broken left arm makes CW tough to generate, even for a right-handed ham :~). 73, Steve Banks K0PQ ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] Use of ITS vs IT'S
-Original Message- From: Ron D'Eau Claire I'm a professional writer who makes that mistake a lot - in quickly-composed e-mails! --- Every time I write a phrase using _its_ or _it's_ I have to stop and think about it. It's just not natural to me even after all these years. It's looks like it shouldn't have its apostrophe and its is missing its. *sigh* I'm just glad that CW is for the most part a punctuation-free mode! - Keith N1AS - - K3 711 - ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Use of ITS vs IT'S (OT)
Ron wrote: Every time I write a phrase using _its_ or _it's_ I have to stop and think about it. Other very common errors are: (1) Misuse of your and you're, (2) Misuse of their and there and they're, (3) Misuse to and too. We all make such errors on occasion, but when any individual native English speaker commits these errors persistently, it reflects badly on that individual even in informal communication. For the sake of personal pride, I try to avoid these errors, even though I know that the message would still be understood. Keith wrote: I'm just glad that CW is for the most part a punctuation-free mode! Morse has a rich assortment of punctuation, including one for the apostrophe (..). I learned many 30 years ago while preparing for my commercial radiotelegraph license exam. When Notice to Mariner bulletins (NAVAREAs and HYDROLANTs) were still being sent in Morse on the maritime HF bands, one came across frequent use of the open parenthesis (-.--.), close parenthesis (-.--.-), and colon (---...). Today I still write = whenever I hear the -...- (BT) combination. Even Army MARS Morse bulletins 25 years ago sometimes used them, most likely due to inexperience on the part of someone using a Morse keyboard to prepare the broadcast. The general membership did not seem to like such surprises in the text that they were trying to copy! Mike / KK5F ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
