Writing 101: You and I

When you and I talk about grammar, it confuses things for you and me. When do you use which, and how do you tell the difference?

Me and I

In order to know when to use I and when to choose me instead, you've got to know the difference between the two. They're both pronouns, but they're different types of pronouns. You see, I is a subject pronoun. Me is an object pronoun. So...what the heck does that mean?

Writing 101: And Then...

There are a whole lot of rules in the English language, and we know this to be true because I write about these rules all the time. And as an author, it's part of my job to follow those rules -- strictly. I must cling to them so passionately, in fact, that I actively and aggressively try to get other people to follow those rules. So it may come as a surprise to some blog readers that there's one rule I break...no matter how many times the automatic grammar checker tells me to fix it. Because when it comes to the phrase "and then," I just don't use it. Nope...not at all. 

Born to Be Bad

Microsoft is totally against the way I write. My word processor completely believes that the word "then" cannot be used unless its buddy "and" is also involved. I'll give you some examples of sentences that are sure to be flagged:

She reached across the table, then grabbed my hand in a show of support.

He lifted his hand as if to touch me, then let it fall back down to his side.

Writing 101: There Is vs. There Are

Figuring out the correct use of the word there gets confusing enough, but when you start adding verbs it can become a grammatical nightmare. Do you know how to use there is and there are the correct way? Don't answer too fast. I thought I knew how to use them, too, until I caught myself making the same mistake over and over again. 

To Be or Not to Be

Why is it so hard to know the difference between there is and there are? For starters, is and are are both forms of the same irregular verb, and nothing's worse than irregular verbs. They're both forms of the verb to be. For example, I might say that Sheila is pretty, or that We are polite. Both sentences use a form of be (Sheila be pretty; We be polite). 

Confused yet? If you weren't confused about there is and there are before this post, you probably are now so my job is half done already. But I'm also going to get it all cleared up.

Writing 101: How to Pluralize

To me, pluralizing is one of the easiest tasks you will ever perform with the English language. This is one of the simplest word problems you are ever going to face. The rules could not be any less complex. And yet somehow, people get it wrong every single day. If you follow me on Twitter, you're likely to see me go wild about it on occasion. But that's all going to change, because today I'm going to blog about how to pluralize. Let's put the matter to rest once and for all. 

Rules are Rules

There are few rules in life, but if you learn to master them you will keep yourself out of all sorts of trouble. Don't kill anyone. Always relieve yourself within the boundaries of an appropriate toilet facility. And pluralize words by adding s to them. 

Do these three things, and you're not going to run afoul of me anyway. In all seriousness, grammar errors are not quite as essential as the rule that you absolutely should not commit homicide. However, myself and many other readers do place a good deal of importance on them. 

Writing 101: You're Your (Own Enemy)

It happens every single day without fail. I get on Facebook to link a post or put up a photo, and I see it: your. And every time I see it, the word is being used the wrong way. As an author, you should always be ever-aware of word possessiveness -- whether you're Tweeting or Facebooking or writing a novel (or writing an email to your own spouse). If I see you using your the wrong way, I'll never read any of your books. And I'm going to start a movement to get others to join me on this blanket ban. And I'm going to succeed...because I'm right. 

Yore

Don't get me wrong; I understand why it's confusing. Your isn't an easy word to know. It's possessive, but it doesn't have an apostrophe. That could blow anybody's mind. Then there's you're, spelled almost the same way and pronounced exactly the same. Neither of these words have anything to do with yore, but that word exists as well. I'm pointing it out because it sounds the same, and it's a fun word. 

But that's moot. The point is, you'd better use your the right way. Once you can, you won't use you're the wrong way, either. 

Writing 101: With No

With no effort on your part whatsoever, you may make a glaring grammatical error that you don't even recognize. At least, that's what happened to me recently. I was using a different word processing program than usual, and just like that it pointed out a mistake that I've made countless times. That's how I found out that I shouldn't be using with and no together. These words just can't pair up...because without exists.

With No Rules...

With no grammar rules, the world might be a better place...but unfortunately, the rules do exist. And as authors, we are compelled to follow them. So that's why I fully expect to be lambasted for using the words with no...because you're just not supposed to use it. Let me show you why. 

Writing 101: 'S

Language is an ever-changing entity. It lives and breathes. You can easily find the proof of it. Open up a novel written 100 years ago, something by Mark Twain for example, and now go open one that was published this year. You'll find extreme differences in the language used. But there are some grammar and punctuation rules that won't ever change, and never have changed...and yet somehow, people still manage to get it wrong. 

There's No Apostrophe in Yours

The rules of using 's are extremely clear. They're hard and fast. And they have not changed since the very first rules of language were invented. So why, why, do we keep getting it wrong?

It's a riddle for the ages. But I am dedicated to repeating this rule, and pointing to it, until no one is making the mistake anymore.

I'm going to make it very clear again: 's is not used to pluralize. It never makes anything plural, not ever. That's why all of the following examples are wrong: 

Did you see all these envelope's?

How many Twitter follower's do you have?

Have you watched all those episode's?

Yes, all of the above examples are wrong because all of the above examples are pluralized words. Eliminate all the apostrophes,  and now everything is correct. You see, 's is only used for two reasons, and neither of them have anything to do with making something plural. 

Let's look at the first example of 's: substitution. 

In the sentence above, I'm actually saying let us look at the first example. The same thing is true for the word it's. Such as it's a beautiful day. What I'm really saying is it is a beautiful day. The apostrophe in the sentence is used as a substitution for the missing letters. This is how all contractions work. 

But 's is also used in another way: to show possession.

That is Becky's envelope.

It was my follower's tweet.

That episode's final scene was crazy.

The above examples use the same subject matter as the first wrong examples we looked at, but all of these examples are correct. In the first, we are talking about something that belongs to Becky. This is why it becomes Becky's, with the 's. The tweet belongs to a follower on Twitter, so it is the follower's. The final scene in one episode is crazy, so it is the episode's. 

Use 's in any other way, and you're using it wrong.

Writing 101: How to Write in the Past Tense

The vast majority of fiction books are written in the past tense. Almost every anecdote ever shared is told in the past tense. It's a tiny change from right now to just a moment ago, but writing in the past tense confuses many authors who might otherwise be wonderful.

It's common, so writing in the past tense should be easy. It should be second nature. But there is a big problem with the past: the word had.

All the Words We Had

Inserting the word had into a sentence does not automatically mean you're writing in the past tense. In fact, in many cases that I've observed, it only makes those sentences grammatically incorrect.

It's tricky, because often had looks and sounds right. See if you can spot the incorrect grammar in the examples:

I had walked over there yesterday.

You had saw that when?

It had sound like thunder in my ears.

She had said that last week, though.

Which one is right? If you said none of them, you might not need this lesson because that's right. But if you thought that any of those examples were correct, you've got to start re-thinking the many ways in which you let had sneak into your writing. 

It has an ugly way of creeping into books, the word had. So many authors stick it into sentences to make them past tense, or maybe to reinforce the past tense, and the word ends up sticking out like a sore thumb. But if you always know exactly what had means and how it ought to be used, you won't make this mistake. 

Had is indeed past tense. It's the past tense of the verb to have, which is an extremely common irregular verb. In the present, to have becomes has (example: John has a bad attitude).  In the future, to have needs a little help. Usually, it's used with the word will to become something that hasn't yet occurred (example: I will have three of them by next week). 

And in the past...well, had sneaks in. Remember the examples from earlier? It's time to find out why exactly they're all wrong. 

I had walked over there yesterday. 

This grammar error is common, and you'll see and hear it all the time. For some reason, had is often inserted in front of verbs that are already in the past tense. Walked is something that happened in the past already, so had is totally unnecessary. Correctly, the sentence reads like this:

I walked over there yesterday. 

Remember that sentences have a subject and a verb, a subject and a verb. It's not subject, verb verb. When you already have a verb in the sentence, you don't need to double up and add the verb had. It becomes redundant, and it disrupts the flow of the words. 

 It had sound like thunder in my ears.

Writers often stick had into a sentence because they're forgetting to put the real verb into the proper tense. Take the extra verb out completely, and convert the right one to the right tense:

It sounded like thunder in my ears. 

When it comes to writing past tense the right way, there's one simple thing to remember: had is often unnecessary. Check for your verbs. If they're not irregular, chances are good that you don't need had at all. Try reading the sentence both ways. Eliminate had and read; put it in and read and see which feels better. Usually, your decision will be the right one.

Writing 101: An or A?

There are 9 parts of speech in the English language, and all sorts of rules about how you ought to use them. But when it comes to a and an, maybe we could use a few more...because sometimes, knowing the rules won't help you pick the right article.

Articles...And Other "A" Words

A or an? This seemingly simple question plagues all writers at some point. 

There is a rule (isn't there always) that is meant to be followed: use a before words beginning with a consonant; use an for words that start with a vowel.

So if you write An antique chair would best suit this room, it's right. So is A contemporary chair is the only option.

But if you say A hour ago, you're wrong.

Yes, I know that h is a consonant...but it's not pronounced in hour so it stops existing (not really, just grammatically). The same thing happens when you ask for an honest opinion, but normal rules apply when you want a ham sandwich. Yes, it's confusing. 

The easiest way to tell if you're supposed to use a or an is to say it out loud both ways. If it sounds harsh to your ears, it's probably wrong. Most grammar problems can be solved by reading out loud, and a or an is a perfect example.

Writing 101: Do You Over-Use Pronouns?

"You've been following me," Ariel looked at Sheila, and she smiled.

Who am I talking about up there? When you over-use pronouns, you confuse readers. Learn the tricks of spotting excessive pronoun usage, and eliminate it from your writing.

He Said, She Said, They Said

Eliza looked at Mary. She shuddered before she spoke. "They're coming for us."

There are so many pronouns in the example above, no one can tell what's going on. Did Eliza both shudder and speak, or did Mary? Maybe Eliza shuddered, and Mary spoke. Or it could be the other way around. Maybe there's a third she involved in this mix. 

The point is, I don't know. And you know what? I'm not going to try to sit here and figure it out. When I'm reading a book, the last thing I want to do is play the Match the Pronoun game. If I have to stop reading to ask "wait -- is that 'he' Marcus or Dave?" then you aren't doing your job as an author.

Grammar is always difficult to figure out, and the best way to keep your pronouns in check is through careful editing. But there is a hard-and-fast rule that I like to use that does help: don't repeat the same pronoun in a sentence. If there's a she, use it just once. Same with he and all the rest. And if there is any confusion at all, use a proper name. Sometimes, you might need to add pronouns to once sentence and take them from another. But I like to eliminate pronouns entirely when there's confusion.

Eliza looked at her. Mary shuddered before speaking. "They're coming for us." 

Eliza looked at Mary, who shuddered before she spoke. "They're coming for us." 

You have to be particularly careful of pronouns when two or more persons of the same gender are interacting, because tracing all the he and she stuff shouldn't be difficult. Make your book easy to read, and don't make reader play the pronoun game.

Writing 101: I Seen

Some grammatical errors become so common, they are integrated into language. Words like forever and alot are prime examples. But some mistakes are still wrong, no matter how often we hear them. I seen is the one I hate the most.

On the Grammar See-Saw

I don't care how you phrase it or use it, I seen is incorrect one hundred percent of the time.

The verb to see is irregular. It has several tenses, like any other verb. The present tense is simply see, as in I see you reading that blog post. The past tense of see is saw, i.e. I saw another blogger writing about that last week.

And then there's seen. It is the past participle of see. This means it's only used with another word, like have. For instance, I have seen better blogs. The word seen only works with other verbs, but it doesn't get along with nouns. To use it properly, it's got to have one of its friends. Words like have and has make seen a possibility. Without them, you've just got bad grammar.

Writing 101: The Adverb Debate

If you spend any amount of time reading writing tips, you'll be exposed to the adverb debate. Some authors, like Stephen King, say don't use them at all. But are they really that bad?

What's an Adverb?

Before you know if adverbs are evil, it's helpful to figure out what they are. To put it simply, an adverb is any word with the -ly suffix. Mightily, oddly, fervently -- these are adverbs (ugly isn't one; there are exceptions to every rule). Adverbs are a well-used part of speech, and you're very likely to find them in all forms of writing.

So what makes them evil?

The Root of All Bad Writing

Those who dislike adverbs argue that they're cheap. A little too easy, a cop-out that's used in place of real descriptive writing. Instead of saying that Marie's voiced trembled, you write that she spoke fearfully.

Don't think there's anything wrong with that? You aren't alone. Many writers use adverbs happily, myself included. I've made no special effort to add them here, but I have put them in bold for easy identification.

The adverb debate is a losing argument. Writers should use every available word in their arsenals, and not limit themselves when it comes to descriptive text. Writing without adverbs is a difficult challenge, and a silly one.

Writing 101: Split Infinitives

It already sounds scary, right? Split infinitives -- they're a grammar no-no, but most people have no idea what the heck they are. Some writers wouldn't even know one if it fell right out of their own books. The truth is, most people write with split infinitives. Try to observe this outdated grammar rule, and I can just about guarantee that you'll make yourself crazy.

Splitting Infinitives, and Other Grammar Rules to Ignore

My favorite example of a split infinitive is to boldly go. It's a common phrase, thanks to Captain Kirk, and by strict rules of proper English it's totally wrong. An infinitive is an unmarked form of a verb -- and go is a verb. You split an infinitive when you put an adverb between the verb and its companion to.

Need some examples? Split infinitive look a little something like this:

To quickly walk

To forcefully push

To uncharacteristically yell

Any of these phrases might appear in a sentence that reads well, and sounds correct:

I didn't mean to quickly walk past the library.

You just have to forcefully push it open, that's all.

I wasn't ready for you to uncharacteristically yell at me like that.

Anything wrong with those sentences? Most people would think no, but technically they're all incorrect because they've all got split infinitives. To make them correct, you'd have to re-phrase them:

I didn't mean quickly to walk past the library.

I wasn't ready for you, uncharacteristically, to yell at me like that.

And if you were going to clean up Kirk's dialogue? He'd be saying boldly to go instead...and really, that just doesn't have the same ring to it at all. 

Some professional editors despise split infinitives, and in very high-toned academic writing they might be frowned upon. But the fact of the matter is, most writers split their infinitives. Start looking, and you'll find them in everything from blogs to novels to movie scripts. Trying to write without split infinitives can actually make sentences more cumbersome and clumsy, which is exactly what you don't want. 

You should always write the way people talk to make your books readable, and most people talk in split infinitives. So forget this grammar rule, and split away. In fiction writing, split infinitives are practically expected.

Writing 101: So is it Burned, or Burnt?

I'm convinced that irregular verbs exist only to annoy writers. They always show up at the most inopportune times, right when you're in the zone and your fingers are flying. One moment, your creativity is pouring out of you. The next, you're staring at the word burned and wondering if it ought to be burnt instead.

Verbs, Adjectives, Words That Don't Make Sense

The verb to burn is irregular. It has two past tenses: burned, and burnt. When something is burned, it's been scorched by heat and/or flame. Your skin may get burned by the sun or even hot water.  Burned is easy to use, because it's an example of classic past tense. Just add ed to burn, and you're ready to go.

You could always add a t instead. Then, the word becomes burnt. When something is burnt, it's been scorched by heat and/or flame. Your skin may get burnt by the sun or even hot water.

No need to check that twice. Burned and burnt mean exactly the same thing, and they are often used interchangeably. Burned is a bit more common in North American writing, while burnt appears a bit more frequently on the other side of the pond. Burnt can also be used as an adjective, for example: 

"What color is that?"

"Burnt orange." 

It sounds a little more cumbersome to say burned orange, so burnt is more commonly used. But when you're using verbs, burned or burnt will do just as well.

Writing 101: Who's Whose?

Who is a deceptively simple word. It sits there with its three letters, taunting and teasing you. But give in to its siren song of sweetness, and you're going to make all sorts of grammatical errors. There are so many different versions of the word who, you practically need a degree just to keep them sorted. One of the easiest errors to make in writing is mixing up who's and whose. I'm probably going to do it in this post, it's so easy. But together, maybe we can get it straightened out. 

Whose Word is it, Anyway?

Whose is the possessive form of who. This is confusing, because usually who's would show possession. If I grab ahold of Joseph and grip around his bicep, I'm holding Joseph's arm. The apostrophe and the s show the possession. 

That's not how it works with who. The word is irregular, so it becomes whose instead. It's also confusing because either word can properly start a sentence. Let's look at some examples:

Who's that sitting in our driveway?

Whose pork chop was left in the sink? 

In the first example, I'm asking asking about "who is." I don't know the name of the person in the driveway, so I'm asking "who is that." With who, the apostrophe s is a contraction. The apostrophe is there to represent the i in is. 

In the second example, I'm asking who left that pork chop in the sink. Who owned this pork chop? Whose was it? I don't know the name of the person with the pork chop, so I'm using who, and I'm asking about something that belongs to who. The word becomes possessive, and it becomes whose. Who's can mean who is or who has, but it can't show possession. It's always a contraction. 

And sometimes, maybe you're supposed to use whom, which is something else altogether. Whom is yet another form of who, and it basically boils down to this: whom is used when the subject is an object, who is used when it's a person.

Don't which know goes where? Just add your is. If you see who's, change it to who is and read it that way to yourself. If it sounds utterly wrong, you probably need to use the word whose instead. 

Writing 101: Passed vs. Past

Words that sound alike, homonyms, are problematic for every writer at one time or another. Some homonym pairs are especially evil, because the two words in question have similar meanings. Passed and past are perhaps the most evil of all homonym pairs. Maybe that's why they're used incorrectly so often.

Past

The word past is confusing, because the word itself is not past tense. It's a perfectly normal adjective, a descriptive word, used when describing something that has already happened. 

"Didn't you and Jim break up?" 

"Yeah, but that's in the past." 

Past is a word that references time. It's even part of a word trio, a group of buddies known as past, present and future. The three are often mentioned together, and it's worth remembering because it'll help you use past correctly. There are different ways to use the word, different places to put it in a sentence, but the meaning of past won't ever change: it's something that already happened. But it can also refer to a specific thing, or person, or time, that has already come and gone.

"All past championship players will be on campus to visit the current champs." 

"I'll meet you at half past seven." 

"That car sped right past us!" 

Confusing, right? When used all these different ways, past becomes an adverb, a noun, even a preposition at times. In most cases, you're probably going to be using past when you're trying to get your point across. But sometimes, you might need the word passed instead.

Passed

The word passed is the past tense form of the verb to pass. This just means to proceed or move forward, according to the OED. It can refer to anything: a physical object, a metaphorical obstacle, time itself. You can pass a test, and you can get past a test. If you tell your friend Mimi that you did a good job on the test, you might say you passed it.

How do you know when to use passed? When you're using it as a verb. Unlike past, which can be many parts of speech, passed is only one. It's a verb. That's all you need to know.

 
The month passed uneventfully. 
He passed me this note in class.
Sure I saw her. I passed her on the way here.

Notice the placement of the word in the examples, and how it's used. Verbs refer to action, to something happening, and that's how passed is always used. It's action. 

But what if I change the verb in the sentence? Then, I have to use passed's difficult twin brother.

Sure I saw her. I walked past her on the way here.

See the difference? In this version of the sentence, the verb I'm using is walk. And since I passed her on my way here, I walked past her.

Telling the Difference

So if you're confused about past and passed, take heart. These two are darn confusing, they're spelled alike, their meanings are similar and they are pronounced exactly the same. Of course writers get confused, and this is one of those many things that spellcheck just can't fix. To use them both correctly, just identify your verb in the questionable sentence. If the verb being used is to pass, you've got to use passed. If past isn't the verb in the sentence, then you're using it the right way.

Writing 101: Why You Need Contractions

Have you ever turned to a friend to say, "let us go to the mall this afternoon" rather than let's? Of course you haven't. Contractions are a natural and normal part of dialogue, and if you're a writer you really need them in your book. 

Contractions

Contractions are confusing. Apostrophes always complicate matters, because they appear all over the place. An apostrophe might be near the beginning, near the end, at the very end...sure, it's easy to get all mixed up. Start throwing contractions around, and matters only get more complicated. In contractions, apostrophes have a single function: they represent the missing letters. When cannot becomes can't, the apostrophe symbolizes the n and the o. 

And once you know that, you should be able to write contractions perfectly every time. You'll need to, because you need contractions. Without them, your book will sound stilted and strange. It won't flow well, and I can prove it.

"You are so silly," said Mary. "We are already there. It is just around the corner." 

"We have been driving for hours," Becky answered. "It is about time." 

Doesn't flow well, does it? It reads much easier, and much more naturally, like this: 

"You're so silly," said Mary. "We're already there. It's just around the corner."

"We've been driving for hours," Becky answered. "It's about time." 

Even outside of dialogue, you need contractions to make your words flow better. Don't forget to look for opportunities to use them, and if you leave them out try to catch them in editing. See which words can be smooshed together to create contractions, and smoosh them. They're common, they're used every day, and they're much more approachable than the alternative. 

There's really only one reason why you need contractions if you're a writer: everyone's using them. Always remember to write the way people talk, and you'll be a better writer.

Writing 101: Person, Persona

Add a letter to a word, and you could change everything. Even if both words are extremely similar, they aren't interchangeable. Before you use one or the other, know the difference between person and persona.

Person

Person simply means human being. It can be any man, woman or child. When there's more than one person, it becomes the plural people. It's a noun. Synonyms include body, character, individual and personage -- not persona, which is sometimes mixed up with person. They aren't the same.

Persona

A persona means essentially the same thing as image, but it can also mean a role that's being played (like by an actor). If you're greatly upset by something but pretending to be fine, you're presenting the persona of an untroubled person. Like person, this word is also a noun. A persona is a public image that one wears.

The Difference

It's easy to use persona and person incorrectly; they're both nouns used to describe individuals in a story. If you're describing a specific character in the story, person is the correct choice. But if you're specially referring to some image that they're projecting, then you might describe something about that character's persona. It's easy to confuse the two because of the word personality, which can refer to a persona (a projected image or characteristic), but in a larger sense refers to a single person's inner workings as well as their projected image.

Writing 101: Proper Use of the Word Y'All

Every writer who wants to unmistakably make a character southern uses it...and at least half of them get it wrong. It's y'all, and it's been offending southern readers since the first author used it the wrong way. Before you attempt to insert it into one of your books, make sure you understand proper use of the word y'all...or you'll end up hearing about it from me. 

We're in the South, Y'all

I touched on the topic of y'all briefly in my apostrophes post, but it's so commonly mis-used it deserves to have its very own spotlight. First, let's all get clear on the meaning of y'all right here and now.

If you read my post, you know how to use apostrophes, and you know that y'all is really you all. The apostrophe takes the place of the o and the u to create this contraction. So every time you see y'all, think you all. The phrase means the same thing as all of you or (as Yankees might say) you guys. 

It's a plural word, and that's the most important thing you've got to remember about y'all. It only addresses more than one, because Robby by himself cannot be an all. Robby and Johnny can be an all because together they're two guys. For example, it's totally appropriate for me to say Robby and Johnny, y'all come in here and get your lunch. But I would never say Robby, y'all come in here and get your lunch.

So many, many authors get that wrong. The word means you all, and actual southerners only use it when they're addressing more than one. Replace y'all with a phrase that means the same thing, and you'll see what I mean:

Robby, all of you come in here and get your lunch. 

Robby, who's out there alone, is going to think the speaker has gone crazy. And readers who see the error are going to roll their eyes...maybe away from your book, and onto the next. Y'all means the same as all of you and it's always plural. 

But I know why people get confused...because y'all's is also considered to be a usable word in the south. 

Y'all's

 It looks like the worst of grammar, but honestly it's not as incorrect as it appears. Y'all's is a double contraction that's commonly spoken south of the Mason Dixon line, and if you're writing true southern dialect it's bound to crop up. Do you know exactly what it means? 

Just extend it to find out. We know that y'all is you all, so what does it mean when you add the new apostrophe and and s to the word? The same thing it always means -- it's possessive.

Y'all's refers to something that belongs to you all. For example, I could have said Robby and Johnny, y'all's lunch is getting cold instead, and it would still be correct. If something belongs to more than one and I'm addressing those owners directly, the thing becomes y'all's. 

Some sources might argue with me on that one; they say the possessive form of the word is more properly spelled y'alls. Some grammarians compare y'all's to its, which is a possessive form that does not have an apostrophe. It's one of those confusing rules of English. However, according to the urban dictionary (the authority on such things), the word is properly spelled out as y'all's. I find this to be the less confusing spelling, at any rate, because you can look at it and figure out exactly what you're doing. Start deleting apostrophes arbitrarily, and you're bound to get yourself screwed up.

Writing 101: It's and Its

The difference between its and it's is as tiny as a single apostrophe, and yet the punctuation is fraught with so much meaning. The words are said the same way, they're pretty much spelled the same way and they appear in just about every book. But writers still get them mixed up all the time. 

Apostrophes, No Rules Edition

There's a reason that its and it's are confusing, and one culprit is to blame: the apostrophe. Sure it looks benign, inviting even, but when it comes to its and it's the apostrophe breaks all of its own rules. 

Oftentimes, the apostrophe shows up to give possession to something. If I buy a purse, that purse is Jade's. But apostrophes serve a different function in it's: they represent a missing i. And when it comes to possession in it? There's no apostrophe at all. 

Confusing, right?

It's

It's actually means it is or it has. It is a pretty common expression, but it is sounds a little formal in some narration and dialogue so many writers change it is and it has to it's. The apostrophe is there to represent the letters which aren't being spoken. 

Its

Looking at the word its is enough to make you fearful. It looks like the plural of it, and suggests that its are going to start leaping out at you from everywhere. But its is a word that's unique unto itself in that it breaks a grammar rule simply by existing. See, its is actually the possessive of an object's ownership. There's no apostrophe, and that's why its is so very dreadful.

Think of its as the neutral version of his and hers. It gives possession, ownership, to any object (or animal or person) that has no known gender. A few examples: 

She balanced the pencil to stand on its own tip.

He brushed the leaves off its face to reveal the neglected watch.

Maybe the money wandered off on its own. 

Knowing the Difference

It's not easy to tell when to use its and it's, so double-check them every time. Know what the sentence means, and read its and it's as it is and it has to see if they make sense. Remember that you're really using two words every time you put the apostrophe into it's, and just one word when no apostrophe is there.