However, I recently came across a very poignant example of why you should never mix up your and you're. As you may recall, we language nerds had a blog called The Grammar Vandal as one of our blogs of the week. Well, the Grammar Vandal published a post called, "She got what she deserved." This is only a part of what she wrote (please visit her site for the full post, and a chance to vote on whether this person really got what she deserved):
This is my new favorite entry on my new favorite Web site, fmylife.com:
Okay. We know this guy isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. Anyone knows you don’t send naked pictures to someone you barely know. And I’m going to assume that these two people are over the age of 18, because if not, that’s a different issue altogether. Assuming they both are above the age of consent,Today, I was flirting via text with a coworker. Things started getting heated, and I wanted to send her a sexy picture. I asked if she had any suggestions. She said, “Your nuts!” She meant, “YOU’RE nuts.” I sent her a photo of my junk. I offended a co-worker with incriminating evidence. FML
That girl got exactly what she deserved.
She mixed up “your” and “you’re” and thus was blinded with an image of the least attractive part of the male anatomy, an image that will likely stick in her mind for quite a long time.
The vast majority of the time, using "your" when you mean "you're" probably won't produce a result such as the above example. But I think it offers a quality reason why you should practice proper grammar - if you're not careful about what you say, it could take on an entirely new and unintended meaning.
Does the mistake of using "your" for "you're" bother you? Also: what do you think has contributed to using your (possessive) for you're (contraction of you are)?
11 comments:
It most definitely bothers me when people use "your" and "you're" interchangeably. The main thing people tend to forget is that "you're" is a contraction of "you are." So saying something like "can I play you're guitar?" would be incorrect if you were to get rid of the contraction.
Sometimes I wonder if people even know what the difference between your and you're is.
It does bother me just a little bit when people use *your* and *you're* almost as if they're they same word. It is just a little irritating.
Their and they're and it's and its at least sound alike to me, so I can understand the confusion. Your and you're sound completely different, so it's so hard for me to get how people confuse the two words!
Miyaunna, do you hear the phonetic difference between your and you're? I feel like no one else hears the difference (and always pronounces it your).
For anyone who teaches English as a foreign language: is the you're vs. your problem more of a native speaker issue or do English language learners make the same mistake?
I try to emphasize the phonetic difference when pronouncing the two to my classes, but the truth is, when I speak normally I say them exactly the same, as do most people I know. I think it's a matter of dialect/accent, Miyuanna, not that one is correct and one isn't. Most of my students are pretty shaky on contractions still, so they mostly say "you are" and avoid the problem, but as they get more advanced, I'm sure the problem will arise. Also, all of my classes focus on speaking more than anything and since the pronunciation difference is minimal, I never correct it.
But if people do not know the difference between your and you're in the first place, and always use the pronunciation "your" for both your and you're, I would argue that that is not a part of dialect or accent. It is still a grammatical mistake, because if they were to transcribe what they had said, they would still probably write, "your" for "you're." It is much more likely that this mistake has been made so many times that saying "your" for both your and you're is becoming an accepted usage. More of an evolution of language, if you will, than dialect or accent.
It used to bug me a ton, and it still does, but not as much as it used to. Well, at least if it's in an informal type of communication, because I know what they're trying to say anyway.
In a paper or published document or something - that would be horrible.
But I've never realized that "your" and "you're" are supposed to sound different...I say them the same, I think. Are you supposed to make "you're" sound longer, as if you're almost saying "youare" as one word?
"You're" is pronounced with shorter vowel sound and a stronger "r" sound. "Your" is more vowel, less "r" sound. At least, that's how I do it. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
Hey Amanda
Most of my students do not make the mistake between your and you're, but only because they rarely use contractions. It's always "your car" and "you are a very nice person", but never "you're a very nice person".
Abby,
I know people pronounce your and you're the same in some areas, but I was actually discussing when people use your and you're interchangeably, thinking them to be the same word.
Sorry if there was any confusion! My wording is not always the best!
Saying "your old", not just pronouncing it that way, is not correct.
Where I come from, "you're" sounds COMPLETELY different from "your".
But, as you said, there is nothing wrong with pronouncing them the same way, only thinking that they can be used interchangeably.
Miyaunna, that's kind of what I was thinking - that most English learners don't use contractions and therefore don't make the mistake. I just don't have my own students yet to make the observation for myself. :)
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