There, their, they're.

[Ironbar]

I see there, their, and they're getting used incorrectly a lot on TB lately.

Dude, I see there, their, and they're getting used incorrectly on national news outlets!

 

[D M C]

I was taught in English classes at school in England that Johns' ball had the apostrophe after the S indicating the ball belongs to John

In that case, the ball belongs to Johns. If there is only one owner, then it's John's, unless his name is Johns, in which case it's Johns' and never Johns's.

 

[D M C]

John's going to his house.
Johns' house is his.

No. In the first sentence, "John's" is a contraction of "John is". In the second, it is a possessive, but an incorrect one. It should be "John's house is his."

 

[old spice]

There, there.

 

[sissy kathy]

No. In the first sentence, "John's" is a contraction of "John is". In the second, it is a possessive, but an incorrect one. It should be "John's house is his."

...unless "Johns" is his name. Johns' indicates there is more than one John you are referring to, and it's possessive.

 

[megafiddle]

This is another detail that seems to be lost in the new age: bring or take.

You TAKE it with you when you leave here. You BRING it with you when you come.

I will take it with me when I go from here . I will bring it with me when I come to your location.

I keep hearing that "you can't take it with you".

Is it possible that the philosophers just got it wrong grammatically, and meant to say, "you can't bring it with you"?

Because I have some things I'd like to take with me. Like an air conditioner. Just in case.

-

 

[Tom Bomb]

The improper expression of effluvia is often on-the-nose. And sometimes downright dangerous. Why do they do that? Stinky so-and-sos.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Where does that thar fit in with all of this?

 

[Tom Bomb]

Towards an explanation, they're is a likely answer their, in the OP. There all valid…

Any others?

 

[D M C]

The improper expression of effluvia is often on-the-nose. And sometimes downright dangerous. Why do they do that? Stinky so-and-sos.

I often express effluvia and am roundly chastised for it.

 

[FilterFunk]

Where does that thar fit in with all of this?

And what about them thar, as in, "There's gold in them thar hills!"

Great...now we done opened up a whole 'nother can o' worms!

 

[96tbird]

Know one asked your advise Filter.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Know one axed you're advise Philter.

Fixed it for you.

 

[carl h.]

Hu ast yuh?

 

[fingerguy]

I even have adults using abbreviations, wrong tense, and so on. I just give up on them.

 

[FilterFunk]

Fixed it for you.

Thank you!

96tbird tried, but his post just wasn't ignorant enough.

 

[96tbird]

Weight, I ignant. Yo um sayn

 

[MJ5150]

The grammar point I see confusing people the most is the apostrophe. Online and in lots of student papers, people have no idea when to use it and when not to. It's really simpler than people think; it represents letters left out. That's it. Or rather, that IS it. I think what confuses people is the possessive form, like "John's dog." But that's because people used to say, "John, his dog," so the apostrophe shows that you're contracting "his."

I've struggled with this one for years, trying to make sense of when to use that apostrophe. This is such a simple and easy to remember explanation.
Thanks bro.

So let's make sure I understand.....
This is Johns bass guitar.
Is that right? I'm not eliminating any letters, so no apostrophe?

-Mike

 

[hrodbert696]

I've struggled with this one for years, trying to make sense of when to use that apostrophe. This is such a simple and easy to remember explanation.
Thanks bro.

So let's make sure I understand.....
This is Johns bass guitar.
Is that right? I'm not eliminating any letters, so no apostrophe?

-Mike

No - "John's bass guitar," because you're contracting "his" to show possession. It's archaic - we never use "his" that way WITHOUT contracting it - but that's what you do. And I don't know why we still use 's for female possession - it's still Susan's bass guitar, not Susan'r - but oh well.

 

[MJ5150]

No - "John's bass guitar," because you're contracting "his" to show possession. It's archaic - we never use "his" that way WITHOUT contracting it - but that's what you do. And I don't know why we still use 's for female possession - it's still Susan's bass guitar, not Susan'r - but oh well.

OK, got it.
Yeah the his thing threw me off since we don't say it that way. Even as I typed out my example, I fought all urges to add the apostrophe to Johns.

Let's try this again, with a twist....
Correct: Those are John's bass guitars.
Incorrect: Those are John's bass guitar's.
Am I right this time?

-Mike