A helpful tool

Ever wonder at the correct usage of punctuation or syntax and grammar is? A good guide to usage, although lengthy, is the Chicago Manual of Style. Not all disciplines use this style, but it does provide some useful information for those willing to go through it.

There is actually an online copy available where you can do a Quick Search or you can look through the Table of Contents/Index. If ever in doubt, check a style guide!

Here is the link: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html

Update: Now that I've written about it, I seem to be encountering a few pages where you have to subscribe to see the info. But even if you can't see that rule, you know how to look it up on Google, so not all is lost!

Its and It's

I know that people sometimes get tripped up by its and it's since the possessive apostrophe gets in the way of knowing which is which.

A way to figure it out, at least in this example is that the contraction convention trumps the possessive rule.

It's is the contraction for "it is". The apostrophe represents the missing letter.

That leaves its to be possessive. This isn't the only possessive to not use an apostrophe. There is also his and hers that I can think of off the top of my head.


To recap: it's = it is, its = possessive.
The house, it's beautiful, sadly its lawn needs works.


Hope that clears things up.

Just a little pet peeve

A short post for now since it is about one of my little pet peeves. I won't keep you for long.

I see people writing "irregardless" on the internet. Why? The idea is already conveyed in the word regardless. Please stop writing irregardless as that is not even a word, and if it was, would probably be the opposite of what is trying to be said!

So again, it is regardless, not irregardless!

My profound thanks if this advice is heeded!