Janice Heck Writes

Power-up Your Writing! Build Your Writing Craft.

Superman to the Rescue: The It’s and Its Problem:

It’s and its confusion consistently hits the top of the most common error charts. But wait, Superman can help you remember when to use the contraction it’s.

It’s is a contraction of a pronoun and a verb:    it’s  =  it is

Using contractions in our speaking and writing makes our language flow more naturally. Without contractions, our language sounds more formal, rigid, stilted, and unnatural. If you want to sound conversational in your writing, use contractions but remember to use the apostrophe correctly.

Here’s how Superman sees it:

Artwork by Mandy Heck, 2015
Stop and think about Superman when you use the contraction it’s. Superman loves apostrophes.

Special thanks to Mandy Heck for her artwork.

Single Post Navigation

2 thoughts on “Superman to the Rescue: The It’s and Its Problem:

  1. My mother was the Keeper of the Apostrophe at her building. A former teacher and school librarian, she could scarcely abide the apostrophes in the banana’s and potatoe’s on the whiteboard dining room menu. But neither did this gracious lady wish to find fault with the kind nursing home staff. So, after checking to see that no one was looking, she would casually walk up to the menu board and erase the offending apostrophes.
    “Scissortown,” my first picture book for children, is dedicated to my mother, loyal Keeper of the Apostrophe.

I look forward to reading your comments!