Your vs. You’re: Let’s Get it Right in 2020!

“Your” and “You’re” are two different words!

Come on people. People, people, pleaasssssssse….As we enter a new decade, let’s start using words correctly. As the title states, “Your” and “You’re” are two different words, and they CANNOT be used interchangeably. The truth is, this is typically taught in the third grade (at least, that’s when I started learning pronouns) but I’m not sure if people fell asleep during that lesson. Unfortunately, when teachers fail to correct these mistakes in school, people continue to make them throughout their lives and it drives me crazy. 

What does the word “Your” mean and when to use it 

“Your” is a possessive pronoun and it is used to indicate ownership or affiliation. For example: your book, your school, your car, your lunch, or your money, are some ways in which “your” can be used. A quick tip is that “your” is almost always followed by a noun. 

When not to use “your” 

One of the most common misplaced uses of the word “your” is “your welcome.” This is a deadly sin!

Please don’t ever say “your welcome.” It violates every grammatical fiber of my existence. 

–          The correct terminology is: You’re welcome or you are welcome.

If your is followed only by an adjective or a verb, that is also another signal that you are about to commit a deadly sin.

For example, it is incorrect to say: 

–          “Your amazing” but you can say “Your amazing voice.”(The noun here tells us that we are referring to the voice being amazing.”)

Another example – it is incorrect to say: 

–          “Your crazy” but you can say “Your crazy daughter,” as this refers to the “daughter” being crazy.

Makes sense? 

Screenshots of the word “Your” being used incorrectly: 

And yes, I did take a moment to correct them!

So what about you’re? 

You’re is a contraction; it is a combination of the words “you” and “are.” Instead of writing out the words “you are,” we drop the “a” insert a single quotation mark, and get “you’re.”

“You’re” can be used in place of  “you are” – they have the same meaning. “You’re” is just a shortened form of the words “you are.”

When to use “you’re”

You use “you’re” whenever you want to replace the words “you are.”

For example: 

–          You’re a good swimmer.

–          You’re beautiful

–          You’re hot!

–          You’re welcome

Next time you use the word “your,” please stop and think if you’re about to commit a deadly sin. Remember that “your” cannot be used if your intention is to say “you are.” When in doubt, just write out the full words and it will save a multitude of readers like me from getting a heart attack. 

Please share this article with a friend and let’s spread the word! At the very least, please save me from erupting into a grammatical-induced fit!