A Man of Letters
(and Punctuation, Too)

By Mr. Rick Moen

From, Blue Notes, Journal of the San Francisco PC Users Group

Dear Editor:
Could you set me straight on apostrophe's? I can't keep its and it's straight. All those possessive's and contractions are confusing.

Thank's.

Charle's Owen's
San Carlo's

Dear Charles:

Sure, no problem: It's is not, it isn't ain't, and it's it's, not its, if you mean it is. If you don't, it's its. Then, too, it's hers. It isn't her's. It isn't our's, either. It's ours, and likewise yours and theirs. See, it's handy to have a publication that knows its it's from its its, isn't it?

Reprinted from the December, 1995, edition of Blue Notes.