Common Grammar Mistakes
1. Their, There, or They're?
§ Their is a possessive pronoun. Possessive means to show ownership. Possessive pronouns always describe a noun.
o Note the spelling of their. It comes from the word they, so the e comes before the i.
§ There is an adverb meaning "that location."
§ They're is a contraction of they are. Note the spelling: The “a” from “are” is replaced by an apostrophe.
o Examples: Their house has a green door. (possessive of they)
o I put the book right there. (that location)
o There are four students sitting in the desks.
o They're here to make up a quiz. (contraction of they are)
2. You’re and Your
§ You’re: Meaning you are. Used as a contraction in a sense of saying something about someone else in most cases.
o Example: You’re at Elk Grove High School. (contraction of you are)
§ Your: Meaning a possession of someone’s. Used when relating to something that is owned or controlled by someone.
o Example: You shouldn’t have left your backpack at school. (You own the backpack)
3. Its, It’s
§ Its is the possessive of it. This means it is used to show when “it” has or owns something.
§ It’s is the contraction of IT IS.
o Example: The play is popular due to its universal theme of love. Everyone enjoys a good love story.
o Example: The play is very famous. In fact, it’s the most well known play by William Shakespeare.
4. Plurals and Possessives (’s and s)
§ ’s -- Used to show that something belongs to someone else. It can also be used as a contraction of he is, she is, etc.
o Example: Bella’s stomach hurt after eating all that junk food.
o Example: We’ll start the game as soon as Edward’s here.
§ es or s -- Used to show a plural form. This works for nouns, verbs etc. It is most commonly used as an ending for things shown in the present tense.
o Example: The book tells us about the history of Transylvania.
o Example: These vampires are more than 200 years old.
COMMON MISTAKES:
§ NOT: The Capulet’s and the Montague’s are enemies.
§ This is NOT possessive. The Capulets and the Montagues are the plural form of the family names Capulet and Montague.
§ POSSESSIVE: Lord Capulet’s party was very fun.
o Lord Capulet owns the party; it is his party at his house. It is possessive.
§ PLURAL POSSESSIVE: The Capulets’ vault is the scene of the play’s climax.
o The Capulets (the entire family) own the vault; it is their family’s vault. It does not just belong to Lord Capulet, so it is not Capulet’s vault.
§ PLURAL: When making a noun or verb plural, DO NOT add an apostrophe.
o NOT: Juliet say’s to her mother, “I’ll look to like, if looking liking move.”
o CORRECT: Juliet says to her mother, “I’ll look to like, if looking liking move.”
GRAMMAR PRACTICE: Name ______
Objective: Know and use the appropriate word in frequently confused pairs and possessive vs. plural words.
(CRS: English 16-19) there, they’re, their/ your, you’re/ its, it’s/ possessive vs. plural
TOTAL: ______/10
o WARM-UP
o Circle the most grammatically correct choice in parentheses.
1. The planet (stay’s, stays, stays’) warm because when the heat tries to escape back out into space, gases such as carbon dioxide keep it from doing so.
2. The divine right of kings was a Christian political doctrine that was integral to the Renaissance theory of monarchy. (It’s, Its) the idea that a hereditary monarchy was the system of government approved by God.
3. The good news is that, because of pressure placed on them by green consumers, more and more corporations are offering products and services that are Earth-friendly and can reduce (your, you’re) carbon footprint.
4. Russia stood outside the political affairs of Europe, and (it’s, its) primary religion was Byzantine, or Eastern Orthodox, Christianity, while the primary religion of most of Western Europe was Roman Catholicism.
5. Cars can be harmful to the environment. For instance, (their, they’re, there) a contributor to carbon dioxide emissions because they burn oil and gasoline.
6. Slaves endured the Atlantic crossing—known as the Middle Passage—under horrific conditions. Most were chained in the ship's hold amid (they’re, there, their) own waste and dying or dead compatriots.
7. The philosopher John Locke tried to explain how people learn. He said that (everyones, everyone's, everyones’) mind is blank at birth. Through experience, people gain knowledge.
8. The city of Tenochtitlán itself was built on an island. an aqueduct brought fresh water (there, they’re, their), and canals and waterways served as highways for boats.
9. (You’re, Your) a consumer in our society and should think of ways to reduce mankind’s carbon footprint.
10. Archaeological evidence suggests that Peru has been inhabited by humans since about 8000 B.C. However, little is known about the (region's, regions’, regions) earliest peoples
ABC-CLIO. 29 Mar. 2009 <http://www.worldhistory.abc-clio.com>.
Nagle, Jeanne. "Being a Green Consumer." Teen Health and Wellness: Real Life, Real Answers. 2009. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. 29 Mar. 2009 <http://www.teenhealthandwellness.com/article/424>.
LONGER READING Name______
§ Objective: Know and use the appropriate word in frequently confused pairs and possessive vs. plural words.
o (CRS: English 16-19)
o there, they’re, their/ your, you’re/ its, it’s/ possessive vs. plural
§ Circle the most grammatically correct choice in the parentheses.
TOTAL: ______/20
The Popularity of Caffeine
A legend says that shepherds at a monastery in Arabia were surprised to find 1 (they’re, their, there) goats jumping around the fields and playing late at night when they should have been asleep. The shepherds found that the 2(goats, goat’s, goats’) had eaten berries from coffee plants. The wide-awake animals had gotten a kick from caffeine. Later, the monks figured out how to brew the beans into coffee to get the same effect. The 3(monk’s, monks, monks’) invention is one of the biggest discoveries in beverage history.
Today, caffeine is widely available throughout the world, and products 4(its, it’s) used in can be bought by people of any age. Caffeine is an analeptic, a kind of stimulant. Stimulants are a family of drugs that makes people feel more alert. 5 (It’s, Its) also psychoactive, which means that it affects 6(you’re, your) central nervous system. Even in small doses, caffeine makes 7(you’re, your) heart beat faster. It can help you think more clearly. It may even give you a little more energy for running or other 8(sports’, sports, sport’s). Even though caffeine is legal, people should be aware of 9(it’s, its) downside.
Caffeine is odorless and rather bitter, and 10(it’s, its) believed to be the most widely used drug in the world. Most people associate caffeine with coffee—and plenty of people drink coffee. After crude oil, it is the second most-traded good in the world. Between 82 percent and 92 percent of 11(American’s, Americans’, Americans) drink coffee. The average American coffee drinker will consume more than three cups a day.
Caffeine is so common that most people don’t even think about the other food products that contain it—nor do they consider the effects can have on 12(they’re, their, there) health. In actuality, caffeine is found not only in coffee beans, but also in tea leaves, cocoa beans, and cola nuts. From these sources, caffeine finds 13(its, it’s) way into many products besides coffee.
Many 14(teenagers’, teenager’s, teenagers) favorite sources of caffeine are energy drinks. While many teens claim that energy drinks give them a quick boost, 15(their, they’re, there) often unsure of how much caffeine 16(their, there, they’re) consuming. In fact, many of these energy drinks don’t list the amount of caffeine on the label, so 17(they’re, there, their) is really no way to know how much 18(your, you’re) taking. Energy drinks also often contain high amounts of sugar or carbohydrates, which give the body some extra fuel, as well as 19(herb’s, herbs’, herbs) and other ingredients that can amplify the effects of the caffeine already in the drink. These 20(drinks’, drink’s, drinks) ingredients typically include amino acids, natural energy boosters such as ginseng, and even legal stimulants such as ephedra, an active ingredient found in many cold medicines.
Lim, Jun. "Caffeine." Teen Health and Wellness: Real Life, Real Answers. 2009. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. 29 Mar. 2009 <http://www.teenhealthandwellness.com/article/77>.
CONFUSABLES PRE-TEST
§ Objective: Know and use the appropriate word in frequently confused pairs and possessive vs. plural words.
o (CRS: English 16-19)
o there, they’re, their/ your, you’re/ its, it’s/ possessive vs. plural
§ Pick the most grammatically correct choice in the bold parentheses. Write it down on a separate sheet of paper.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
1. To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel of childhood, but (it’s, its) not told by a child.
2. The narrator, Jean Louise Finch (Scout), is an adult, recalling events that occurred in the mid-1930's, when her older brother Jem Finch was nearing his (teens, teen’s, teens’) and she was four years younger.
3. The novel concerns innocence and experience, and (it’s, its) theme is more complicated than it might appear.
4. Scout, Jem, and (they’re, there, their) friend Dill Harris are not naturally cruel; however, they have not yet learned to empathize with others.
5. To them, outsiders have no feelings. Therefore, (it’s, its) all right to bother a reclusive neighbor, to make fun of crabby old ladies, or to rub a poor boy's nose in the schoolyard dirt.
6. Atticus Finch, the father of Scout and Jem, is concerned about teaching them to imagine themselves in the position of others. In this sense, then, the (childrens’, childrens, children's) innocence must be adjusted.
7. For instance, the children do not like their neighbor, Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose, who shouts criticisms and insults at passing children. They cannot understand why their father is nice to Mrs. Dubose; as far as (their, they’re, there) concerned, she deserves their hatred.
8. To Kill a Mockingbird tells Scout’s journey from innocence to experience. This is a journey to which most of us can relate, so think of (your, you’re) own journey from innocence to experience while reading the novel.
9. (They’re, There, Their) are several themes in To Kill a Mockingbird, which include issues of fairness, racism, and people's inhumanity to others.
10. (You’re, Your) going to read this novel fourth quarter, and the experiences you have encountered with prejudice and inequality can help you relate to the experiences that Scout has in the novel.
Canfield Reisman, Rosemary M. “Harper Lee.” Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition. Salem Press, Inc., 2007. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=MOL9830000181&site=lrc-live