Serious Matters: Your vs. You’re
Graphic courtesy of https://wordnerdgirl.files.wordpress.com
The nice thing about social media spats is that you can instantly tell whether the person you’re arguing is actually worth your time based on their grammar skills.
There are many classic simple errors that are instant tip offs, but none bigger than your vs. you’re.
One of them is a possessive pronoun. The other is a contraction.
Tell that to “keyboard warriors” whose insults or credibility fall by the wayside the second they fail to demonstrate basic grammar knowledge.
“Your an idiot” is my favorite. First of all, it’s a dumb and shallow insult. Second, the irony is just overflowing. I’ve seen this on many Twitter replies, to which the only response necessary is “#your.”
Our very own Alexis Bradby has another example: “Don’t reply your gonna say something dumb.”
Most of the time, you can discern the person’s message even if they make a mistake, and that leads some to accuse the “grammar police” of being too picky. But this is basic elementary school grammar, not Oxford commas or dangling modifiers. Nothing irks me more than someone who doesn’t spend the time to get it right.
So, the next time you throw out an insult to someone online, take a second to make sure you will even be taken seriously.