|
|
---|---|
you're or your | These two words get mixed up because they sound the same. It only really becomes a problem when you're writing informally, and it's not just your problem, a lot of native speakers fluff it up too, so you're not alone. Your is a possessive adjective, used to describe something as belonging to someone else, or to you from the point of view of someone else. It is usually followed by a noun (sometimes a gerund). For example: " Lynne is your teacher here. She's very friendly." You're is the contracted form of "you are". For example: " You're not confused, are you?" It is often followed by the present participle (verb form ending in -ing). For example: "You're kidding! Of course I'm confused!" See the grammar pages for more information on possessive adjectives. Let's put the two together. I'm your teacher, you're my student. !Note - The best way to check your writing as you're writing is to say it out loud in full. If you have written the contracted form - using the apostrophe - say it in the full form "you are", and see if it makes sense. |