Editing Tip: Its & Whose (& It's & Who's)

Sometimes the English language is pretty straightforward, but a couple notable exceptions are its / it's and whose / who's. And while this may be a losing battle -- meaning eventually the apostrophe-s will probably become acceptable for both words in both cases -- it hasn't happened yet. So here's a quick way to remember which is which.

• Use the apostrophe-s when the word is a contraction. Who's is a contraction for who is only, and thus is only correct when it can substitute for that phrase. Likewise, it's is used only as a substitution for the phrase it is. Examples: "Who's responsible for this chair?" and "It's broken."
  

• The other two forms, whose and its, are used when the words are possessive, as in, "Whose chair is this?" and "Its leg is broken."

And again, in 10 - 15 years, the point might be moot, but until then show your superior knowledge of literacy and avoid mixing them up.

Next time: there, their and they're.

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Editing Tip: Linking Verbs vs. Action Verbs

A linking verb (or copula verb) makes your sentence into an equation. Sentence subject equals sentence predicate. Therefore, the best time to use one is when you want to draw a conclusion for your readers.

• The weather is awful.
• You look mahvelous.
• Something's smelling up the garage.

In these instances, the reader has no choice but to agree with what you're saying in order to keep reading. You are deciding what the reader will think and experience, making it simple for them to read and understand.

To give the reader more freedom of imagination, employ action verbs.

• The storm lowered off the Newburyport coastline.
• Your hair sparkles in the sunlight.
• She inhaled a whiff of yesterday's banana peels when she opened the door to the garage.

In these instances, readers have a choice about what conclusions to draw from the imagery, and they need to use their imaginations to experience what you're writing about. It's harder work for them, but more rewarding and engaging.

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