Message-ID: <a140390f-26b9-72ca-32d9-ac64e9944169@youngman.org.uk>
Date:   Sun, 2 Jan 2022 01:11:28 +0000
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Subject: Re: [PATCH] md: fix spelling of "its"
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Cc:     open list <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>,
        linux-raid <linux-raid@vger.kernel.org>
References: <20211226022411.22437-1-rdunlap@infradead.org>
 <CAPhsuW5sC5bi3CfAtL1iwHHUbHvsVc0f0y6rn7szK1okBAaEWw@mail.gmail.com>
From:   Wol <antlists@youngman.org.uk>
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On 02/01/2022 00:06, Song Liu wrote:
> On Sat, Dec 25, 2021 at 6:24 PM Randy Dunlap<rdunlap@infradead.org>  wrote:
>> Use the possessive "its" instead of the contraction "it's"
>> in printed messages.
>>
>> Signed-off-by: Randy Dunlap<rdunlap@infradead.org>
>> Cc: Song Liu<song@kernel.org>
>> Cc:linux-raid@vger.kernel.org
> Applied to md-next.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
For the benefit of non-native English speakers, the possessive ending is 
NOT " 's ". In practice it usually does tend to be, though.

The regular historic possessive ending is -es. An apostrophe replaces 
elided letters - and for whatever reason in modern English that "e" is 
almost always elided, hence " 's " :-)

(Which is why the possessive plural ending is usually a trailing 
apostrophe. The possessive of (plural) cats was "catses", now 
abbreviated to " cats' ".)

However, with the word "it", the irregular possessive form is "its", and 
when you see " it's ", it's actually a contraction of " it is ", the "i" 
has been elided and replaced by the apostrophe.

I remember seeing a big sign outside a shop where they proudly announced 
they had been granted a "Certificate of Excellence". And in about 20 
words, they had the word "its" six times. Spelt wrong EVERY SINGLE TIME :-)

Cheers,
Wol