Can "it's" signify ownership or is it always "its"?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Blahness
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    English
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
Sign up Log in
11 replies · 3K views
Blahness
Messages
113
Reaction score
0
Okay, quick question.

Can the word "it's" be used to signify ownership?

e.g.

"To argue whether or not secularisation is occurring, or has occurred, in our society today one must first define religion itself, then define secularisation- how influential is it now, compared to that of the past, and finally define it's significance."

Would this be proper usage, or must it be used without an apostrophe despite signifying property or ownage?
 
Physics news on Phys.org

Discussion

The way I learned is that the possessive form of it is "its" without an apostrophe, so that "it's" with an apostrophe is always it is.
 
It's a rule! Follow its dictates!
 
For completeness, "english" should be written with a capital letter.
 
brewnog said:
For completeness, "english" should be written with a capital letter.
Even when used for the spin on a tennis ball or ping-pong ball?
 
berkeman said:
Even when used for the spin on a tennis ball or ping-pong ball?


Ooh interesting one. I suspect not, though I don't know the etymology of this use. Anyone?
 
brewnog said:
Ooh interesting one. I suspect not, though I don't know the etymology of this use. Anyone?

I had a look at the OED, doesn't which say much about its origin. It did give a second-hand (or more) apocryphal-sounding story about an English pool player named English coming to the U.S., with english being named after him.

I then found the website of the http://www.etymonline.com/index.php" , which states

English (2) (Look up English at Dictionary.com)
"spin imparted to a ball" (as in billiards), 1860, from Fr. anglé "angled," which is similar to Anglais "English."
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Excellent! Thanks George, that's a much more rational explanation.

I don't know what the rule would be now regarding capitalisation; if the ambiguity is all in the French language, and your story is the truth, I don't see how you could get away without spelling English with a capital E. But I don't know!
 
brewnog said:
For completeness, "english" should be written with a capital letter.
Okay, but which one?

Edit : Nevermind. I see you anticipated the extent of my illiteracy in your subsequent post.
 
brewnog said:
Excellent! Thanks George, that's a much more rational explanation.
Agreed. Good one, George.

brewnog said:
if the ambiguity is all in the French language... ...I don't see how you could get away without spelling English with a capital E.
Actually, if it's from the French it would be spelled with a capital 'A'. :-p