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The "It-ss" and the "Tooze"
Made Easy
by Don McCabe
ISBN: 1056400-781-2 W-721
8½x11 $8.95
Although this book is now out of print, it can be found in the new book:
It-ss & Tooze, Apostrophes, and the I Before E Rule Made Easy
This is a programmed learning text that is designed for adults. It can be used very successfully as well with high school students and even later elementary students. The key is the immediate student self-correction. Not only must the student get the right answer, but the student must give the right reason!
From Lesson One: The Problem with the "IT-ss"
I used to have a real problem with the "IT-ss." When I should have spelled "IT-ss" its, I spelled it it's. When I should have spelled "IT-ss" it's, I left out the apostrophe. You would think I could have gotten it right at least half the time. But I didn't. However, now I almost never confuse them. Because now I just ask myself whether the "IT-ss" is a contraction or not. If the "IT-ss" is a contraction of the two words it + is, then I "IT-ss" as it's with the apostrophe taking the place of the letter i in the word is. Sometimes, I even use a double check. If I can substitute the possessive pronoun (adjective) "his" or "her" for "IT-ss", then I know that "IT-ss" should be spelled its.
Look at this list of POSSESSIVE Pronouns.
All show possession but NOT one has an apostrophe!
| Pronoun | Possessive Adjective |
Possessive Pronoun |
Example |
| I | my | mine | I said, "My glasses are mine. |
| you | your | yours | You just think that your house is really yours. |
| it | its | its | It hurt its leg. |
| he | his | his | He broke his arm. That book is his. |
| she | her | her | She lost her ring. That car is hers. |
| we | our | ours | We know our team lost, but the prize was ours. |
| they | their | theirs | They knew their school won. The win was theirs. |
Practice using the concepts:
Notice that you must put the correct spelling in the correct column.
| Contraction of | You could say his or her | ||
| a. "IT-s fun to learn something new. | it's
means it is |
||
| b. My cat bit "IT-ss" tongue | its
bit her tongue |
||
If you have comments about this website or questions concerning reading, spelling, phonics, learning disabilities, homeschooling, etc., you may always e-mail DonMcCabe@aol.com. We appreciate any comments that will help us make this website even more useful.
All donations are greatly appreciated. If you would like to support our mission which is to raise the level of literacy to the point where the words, illiteracy, phonemic awareness, learning disabilities, dysgraphia, family literacy, adult literacy, and illegible handwriting will no longer have relevance, please mail your tax-deductible check (in U.S. dollars) to The AVKO Foundation, 3084 Willard Road, Suite W, Birch Run, MI 48415-7801. The AVKO Foundation is recognized by the IRS as a 501(C)3 publicly supported organization working with teachers, parents, tutors, and home schooling parents, publishing materials developed by its research, and providing free daily tutoring at its local reading clinic.