2023-05-28 ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด I – It & Its & it’s & it’s me

Revision I

 

การใช้ภาษาอังกฤษ ที่ถือว่า ถูกต้อง ในที่นี้ เป็นไป ตามมาตรฐาน ของภาษา 

การใช้ภาษาอังกฤษ ไม่กำหนดมาตฐาน ถือตามส่วนใหญ่ที่ใช้แต่ละท้องถิ่น 

ความหมาย อาจยืดหยุ่น ขึ้นอยู่กับ ตำแหน่ง/หน้าที่ ในประโยค

 

Dictionary of Problem Words and Expression

It & Its & it’s & it’s me

It is a short, necessary word 

often used in a vague or indefinite way 

to stand for, or refer to, 

a variety of things and ideas. 

 

The term also appears in expression 

that are trite or slangy, 

such as, “to get with it,” 

“be with it,” “have it,” (“be attractive”) 

“had it” (“reached the end of endurance or patience”).

 

It is a singular pronoun in the third person; 

“it don’t” and “it weren‘t” are illiteracies.

 

Its is the possessive form of it. 

”The dog has lost its collar.”

“I’m sorry about its arriving too late for your birthday.”

 

It’s means “it is” (It’s raining) and “it has” (It’s been raining).

 

Awkward and stilted though the expression may sound, 

one should say “It’s I” rather than “It’s me”

because a predicate complement is in the nominative case.

 

If you don’t like to say “It’s I” (or it is I” or “This is I”), 

then say “This is” followed by your name.

 

Similarly, watch out for such expressions 

as “It’s us,” “it’s them,” “it’s her,” “it’s him.”

 

If you think the correct forms of we, they, she, and he, 

in these constructions sound strained, 

then use names: “It’s Jane,” “It’s Jim.” 

 

Common Errors in English Usage Dictionary

ITS & IT’S

The exception to the general rule 

that one should use an apostrophe to indicate possession 

is in possessive pronouns. 

 

Some of them are not a problem. 

“Mine” has no misleading “s” at the end to invite an apostrophe.

 

And few people are tempted to write “hi’s,” 

though the equally erroneous “her’s” is fairly common, 

as are “our’s” and “their’s—all wrong, wrong, wrong.

 

The problem with avoiding “it’s” as a possessive 

is that this spelling is perfectly correct 

as a contraction meaning “it is.” 

 

Just remember two points 

and you’ll never make this mistake again. 

(1) “it’s” always means “it is” or “it has” and nothing else. 

(2) Try changing the “its” in your sentence to “his” 

and if it doesn’t make sense, then go with “it’s.”