Punctuation: Possessives, Contractions and Commas

The improper use of possessives versus contractions is a common mistake in business writing. One simple rule of thumb is that a word contracted, such as it’s, they’re, you’re and who’s, indicates a shortened form of a verb action – it is, they are, you are and who is. If there is no contraction, such as its, their, your and whose, this indicates a possessive use. Incorrect Example: The pharmaceutical industry had it’s day in court (should be “its”) Incorrect Example: Whose responsible for the office break-in? (should be “who’s”) Incorrect Example: Your welcome for the good deed! … [Read more...]