1.

2.
3.
4.

I paid for my scarf, so it is _____.

Pick any of these desserts. The choice is _____.
The math book belongs to Ralph. It is _____.
All my brothers love video games. Playing them is a favorite pastime
of _____.
5. We bought this game together, so it is _____.
Is _________ my drink?
2. _________ arent my trainers.
3. Is _________ an interesting museum.
4. _________ are new bikes.
5. _________ is my house.
6. _________ is a hill.
7. _________ are donkeys.
8. What is _________?
9. Did you drop _________?
10. Hi, Jane! _________ is Michael.
11. _________ James bike.
12. _________ are his children.
13. _________ are his sisters children.
14. _________ is Pete.
15. _________ is my restaurant.
16. _________ are my jewels.
17. _________ is the church of my town.
18. _________ are my fathers book.
19. _________ is Ajaxs stadium.
20. _________ is my bag.
21. Is _________ my TV?
22. Are _________ your watches.
23. I like _________ clown.
24. _________ boys are American.
25. _________ is my money.

Commonly Confused
The source of confusion between words like They're and Their is that, when it comes to
pronouns, apostrophes (') actually don't indicate possessives. Apostrophes in pronouns
indicate that some letters have been removed to create a new, shorter word out of one or more
words. This new word is known as a contraction. They're is a contraction of "they are". It's is
a contraction of "it is".
Their, Your, and Its are possessives. Pronoun possessives, unlike other possessives, have no
apostrophes.
There is totally unrelated to They're and Their. As a pronoun, There refers to a location, not a
multitude of people, places, or things. Sometimes There an adverb. For example: "There are a
few rules you have to remember." In this case, the adverb There is modifying the verb "are".
Question
Answer
Contraction means...
two words smooshed together (they're)
Possessive means...
someone possesses something (their)
Which one has an apostrophe?
contraction
Which one has no apostrophe?
possessive
3 tricky contractions
they're, you're, it's
3 tricky possesives
their, your, its
memorize
They're and Their
Let's start with They're, Their, and the unrelated word There.
Question
Answer
Yesterday they were running. Today ____ running.
they're
The pencil belongs to multiple people. It is ____ pencil.
their
It is not over here. It is over ____.
there
memorize

It's and Its

Moving on to It's and Its.
Question
The teeth belong to it. They are ____ teeth.
Yesterday it was raining. Today ____ raining.

Answer
its
it's
memorize

You're and Your

Now your ready for You're and Your. (Did you catch my error? I hope you did!)
Question
Answer
The hourglass belongs to you. It is ____ hourglass.
Your
Yesterday you were learning. Today ____ learning.
you're

Confusing Pronouns: he, she, it, they, that, this, these, those
A pronoun is a word that refers back to a noun, or takes the place of a noun. These simple words can
cause readers great confusion, even when technically used properly.

Agreement in Number
One of the primary problems with using pronouns is agreement. If a pronoun takes the place of a
singular noun, then it too must be singular. For example:
Incorrect: A student must use pronouns properly in their papers.
Correct: A student must use pronouns properly in his or her papers
or
Correct: Students must use pronouns properly in their papers.
It is often easier to make generalized nouns plural than deal with the clunky phrase "he or she"; for
more information, see our page on guidelines for nonsexist usage.
Also remember that the words "everybody," "anybody," "anyone," "each," "neither," "nobody," and
"someone" are all singular and thus take singular pronouns.
Incorrect: Everybody should do their work on time.
Correct: Everybody should do his or her work on time.
or
Correct: All students should do their work on time.
Incorrect: Each of the students remembered their homework.
Correct: Each of the students remembered his or her homework.
or
Correct: All of the students remembered their homework.
Agreement in Person
If you are writing in one person, e.g. third (he, she, it, they, etc.), then do not switch to another person,
e.g. second (you).
Incorrect: When a student is late for class, you should apologize to the professor.
Correct: When a student is late for class, he or she should apologize to the professor.
Eliminating Ambiguity
Consider this sentence:
The treaty provided a peaceful way to settle international disputes. It was an important step forward
for all nations.
The reader cannot tell whether "It" at the beginning of the second sentence refers to the treaty or to
the peaceful way of setting disputes. Using "This was" instead of "it was" wouldn't help the reader very
much. Consider these revisions of the second sentence:
The signing of the agreement marked an important step forward. . . or This method of resolving
conflicts was an important step forward. . .Both of these revisions provide much-needed clarity for the
reader. As a part of the editing process, it can be useful to comb through your paper, either by hand or
using the search function on your computer, and locate all vague pronouns such as "this," "that," "it,"
etc. Try to replace as many of these pronouns as possible to convey your message clearly.