Thread: "Your" and "you're" -- a serious issue!

Originally Posted by Michael

Unless you're writing or grading an essay or research paper for a class, then don't stress over this stuff.

I be saying what ur saying 2 where I'm at.

Really, that is what I said in my first post. Bad grammar is not really an issue in a nonprofessional situation as long as people can easily know what you are saying, but it can be bad enough for people to think you got freeby passing grades in English all through school, and some people might care if they sound like that.

Originally Posted by thegnome54

I hate people who use numbers instead of letters, too.

I hate that. Makes people seem juvenile.

Your retarded.

Originally Posted by Rasenganxxchidori

Your retarded.

Know, u r.

I can't read your as you're. Maybe because I pronounce them differently, but it just doesn't seem right.

Originally Posted by thegnome54

I hate people who use numbers instead of letters, too.

I saw a license plate that said "1EE7" driving in front of me today. I lol'ed.

Anyway, if we want to really split hairs, there is a difference between "ya," "yah," and "yeah," at least in my humble opinion. "Ya" is the slang form of "you" as in "What can I get ya?" "Yah," is the slang form of "yes." And "Yeah" is the exclamation, much like "hurray!"

But I'm probably the only person who really takes much note of it, so I don't say anything

Originally Posted by Amethyst Star

Anyway, if we want to really split hairs, there is a difference between "ya," "yah," and "yeah," at least in my humble opinion. "Ya" is the slang form of "you" as in "What can I get ya?" "Yah," is the slang form of "yes." And "Yeah" is the exclamation, much like "hurray!"

Yeah it's not nearly as annoying if it's already slang anyway...

Well, since English is a second language to me and I firstly learned the "You are welcome" form, only then to learn contractions, I never had trouble with it. Actually, I did only realise how much trouble people have with "your" and "you're" in this forum. Isn't that simple:

You're -> you are -> subject + nominal verb

Your -> possessive pronoun -> belonging to you

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Now some fleshing out:

I guess the major problem here is with the main characteristics of english: it is not really phonetic. If you get other languages, such as spanish or italian, you'll see the pronunciation of each word follows strict rules, also with the use of accents to determine variance of vowel, stress and tonicity, etc. For example (using my own phonetic alphabet):

down -> written with o, but pronounced with ah /d'Áun/
dawn -> written with a, but pronounced with o /d'Ôun/

To be sincere, the part in the learning of English that most confuses me is pronunciation - simply because most words (if not all) have irregular pronunciation, stress, varied vowels, mute consonants and so on. But I'm not complaining: if you try to learn verb tenses in any other language, you'll see real trouble. Don't complain about your easy subjunctive: it is a fat piece of strawberry cake compared to the portuguese one.

If you want more on the pronunciation of English words, see the comparison below. (note that different accents are written differently in a phonetic alphabet)

Portuguese is not easy, people.
/pºÓrºtiÚgIz Is nÓt' IzI , pIpÔu/

Mes Tarrant is a fairy.
/mÉs tÁrºÂnt Is Á fÉrºI/

'Maybe' and 'may be' gets me too!!!

well, probably because maybe is derived from may be.. but they have slightly different meanings hard to explain I guess

Originally Posted by Kromoh

I guess the major problem here is with the main characteristics of english: it is not really phonetic. If you get other languages, such as spanish or italian, you'll see the pronunciation of each word follows strict rules, also with the use of accents to determine variance of vowel, stress and tonicity, etc. For example (using my own phonetic alphabet):

A few years ago, I taught English one on one to a girl who had come here from Afghanistan. It was then that I realized just how incredibly insane English is.

Originally Posted by Adam

'Maybe' and 'may be' gets me too!!!

Just remember that "may be" is a double verb and "maybe" is an adverb.

Originally Posted by Grod

Your retarded.

Itss nawt nice 2 say reetarded.

I h8 ppl wh o speel bad. There r dumb.

I've actually had to talk to people who spell like that.

alot and a lot get me too. alot is technically not proper english, but I see it a lot in text. Same deal with all right and alright.

What really bugged me once was that I was reading a book and it kept switching from british and american spellings for certain words. One paragraph it would be honour and then next I would read honor.

Originally Posted by ninja9578

What really bugged me once was that I was reading a book and it kept switching from british and american spellings for certain words. One paragraph it would be honour and then next I would read honor.

Hehe, why? Were there two authors or something?

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

Just remember that "may be" is a double verb and "maybe" is an adverb.

I know when to use the two, I mean it gets me when others dont, just like when they use the wrong you're or your

Originally Posted by Kromoh

well, probably because maybe is derived from may be.. but they have slightly different meanings hard to explain I guess

I always explain it to people as maybe being a direct replacement for perhaps, so if it would make sense with perhaps being replaced then it is correct. "Perhaps Maybe I should leave early tonight?"

Yeah. Alot of people do that, but oh well. I just assume they know it's wrong and they're just lazy... lol. At least I hope.

were and we're - there is another one. Oh and don't get me started on there, their and they're

Hay, Adam added sknow flakes to him signacher!


Just keep in mind that most people are morons and the grammar thing cuts less deeply.

Originally Posted by Mes Tarrant

I have a question. How come the phrases "your welcome" and "you are welcome" mean the same thing?

You're welcome is the correct answer. By the way, your welcome is always open to my inbox.

Originally Posted by Amethyst Star

I saw a license plate that said "1EE7" driving in front of me today. I lol'ed.

Anyway, if we want to really split hairs, there is a difference between "ya," "yah," and "yeah," at least in my humble opinion. "Ya" is the slang form of "you" as in "What can I get ya?" "Yah," is the slang form of "yes." And "Yeah" is the exclamation, much like "hurray!"

But I'm probably the only person who really takes much note of it, so I don't say anything

Yup.

Another one that is often confused - by myself as well - is "her" and "she". I try to use the correct for but sometimes it's confusing.

"The owner of the ball is she."

"The bell is hers."

So... Does the bell belong to "she" or "her". I think it belongs to she, even though it is hers.

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A lot of people get "I" and "me" confused too.

"She and I go to see her bell." - not "Me and her go to see her bell." (right?)

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One more: It's "hers" not "her's", right? It's funny how the possessive apostrophe only works with most words but not some.

Originally Posted by Oneironaught

Another one that is often confused - by myself as well - is "her" and "she". I try to use the correct for but sometimes it's confusing.

"The owner of the ball is she."

"The bell is hers."

So... Does the bell belong to "she" or "her". I think it belongs to she, even though it is hers.

"She" is the subject of the first sentence. "Her" is *looks it up* the objective case of "she," sort of on the same line as the direct object. In the second sentence, "the bell" is the subject.... And it would be, "I think it belongs to her."

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A lot of people get "I" and "me" confused too.

"She and I go to see her bell." - not "Me and her go to see her bell." (right?)

-----------------

One more: It's "hers" not "her's", right? It's funny how the possessive apostrophe only works with most words but not some.

"I" is the subject, and "me" is, again, the objective case.

And it's "hers."

And yes, English is a psychotic language... but you almost have to love it for that.

Originally Posted by Oneironaught

Another one that is often confused - by myself as well - is "her" and "she". I try to use the correct for but sometimes it's confusing.

"The owner of the ball is she."

"The bell is hers."

So... Does the bell belong to "she" or "her". I think it belongs to she, even though it is hers.

----------------

A lot of people get "I" and "me" confused too.

"She and I go to see her bell." - not "Me and her go to see her bell." (right?)

-----------------

One more: It's "hers" not "her's", right? It's funny how the possessive apostrophe only works with most words but not some.

I would just say "She is the owner of the ball" or "The bell is hers"

I don't like to refer to someone as she, I think it is far too informal. I would always try to use a name, so something like "Me and xxx go to see her bell"

I would just manipulate the sentence to work for me lol.

Originally Posted by Amethyst Star

"I think it belongs to her."

Ha, the "I think" part was just my commentary. The sentence I was going for is "It belongs to..."

And I agree, it belongs to her. I didn't have a good example there. I'll try again:

If we were to say "The owner of the bell is..." I think the answer is "she". "The owner of the bell is she", as opposed to "The owner of the bell is her" because that begs the question "Her what? Her Mother? Her dog? Her own self?"

Is that correct?

"I" is the subject, and "me" is, again, the objective case.

And it's "hers."

Yeah, I knew that one. I've noticed that sometimes people get confused, thinking that the apostrophe should be there to make the possessive form. It's like the "its" and "it's" thing. "Its" is the possessive form, which is counter-intuitive.