blog 39

The number one aspect of grammar that I always seem to have issues with is the proper use of the comma and semi-colon.  I don’t really know much about the rules of using commas.  I usually feel as though I am using them the right way when I’m writing but I’m never really sure.  When I write, I say what I’m writing in my head as if I am talking out loud.  I place commas where it sounds right to pause if I were speaking out loud.  There are also some other common grammar mistakes I fall victim to occasionally.  I think over the years I have figured out the proper use of some of these tricky words in grammar.  The thing I get annoyed by easily is the improper use of your and you’re.  All it takes to avoid this error is to take a second and think about what you’re trying to say.  “Your” is a possessive pronoun, as in “your car” or “your blog.” “You’re” is a contraction for “you are,” as in “you’re screwing up your writing by using your when you really mean you are.  “There” and “their” are used improperly just the same.  “Its” and “it’s” is one that used to stump me as well.  “It’s” is a contraction of “it is” or “it has.” “Its” is a possessive pronoun, as in “this blog has lost its mojo.” Here’s an easy rule of thumb, just repeat your sentence out loud using “it is” instead. If that sounds weird, “its” is likely the correct choice.