Alphabetical order with apostrophies ??

[Octobermommy]

What comes first alphabetically : it's or its ?

You're or your

[NCGrandma]

Depends on whether or not the apostrophe is used correctly! [imagine smiley here] Seriously, I would alphabetize it's before its, etc. Not sure that I can cite a rule, though.

[wellyes]

Ignore apostrophes when alphabetizing.
So it's and its --- doesn't matter.
Your and you're --- your would come before youre.

[buddyleebaby]

I would do "it's" before "its" because "it's" is "it is" and "it" would come before "its".

Try saying that three times fast.

[Octobermommy]

My dd put it's & then its.

You're & then your, with the thought that you're is you are, so the 'a' comes before the 'r' of your.

Both were marked incorrect.

[wellyes]

My dd put it's & then it.

You're & then your, with the thought that you're is you are, so the 'a' comes before the 'r' of your.

Both were marked incorrect.

It comes before It's. The shorter word is always first (if all earlier letters are the same).
It's and Its are interchangeable.

I don't think definitions count when it comes to alphabetization.
Your comes before you're because, again, the shorter word always comes first (if all earlier letters are the same).

[JElaineB]

My dd put it's & then it.

You're & then your, with the thought that you're is you are, so the 'a' comes before the 'r' of your.

Both were marked incorrect.

Was the question "it" and it's or "its" and it's? It should come before it's or its. There is no third letter in "it" so it comes before the other two.

I would agree "your" would come before "you're" for essentially the same reason. You ignore the apostrophe and don't "uncontract" the contraction to alphabetize.

[Octobermommy]

Was the question "it" and it's or "its" and it's? It should come before it's or its. There is no third letter in "it" so it comes before the other two.

I would agree "your" would come before "you're" for essentially the same reason. You ignore the apostrophe and don't "uncontract" the contraction to alphabetize.


So sorry. The word was "its".

[buddyleebaby]

Can you just ask the teacher why it's wrong?
The only explanation I can think of is that she's counting it's as being longer than its.

[Octobermommy]

Can you just ask the teacher why it's wrong?
The only explanation I can think of is that she's counting it's as being longer than its.

I will but I wanted to see if the wise bbb mamas knew the rule.

[ahisma]

What grade is she in? That's some pretty hardcore alphabetizing.

[mom3boys]

What grade is she in? That's some pretty hardcore alphabetizing.

Agreed. We're not sure of the answer and we're adults! I don't see the point of alphabetizing words that are essentially the same.

I agree with others, I would have thought "its" and "it's" interchangeable, and "your" before "you're" since your has fewer letters. If the teacher was following that logic I would understand why your DD was marked incorrectly for "you're" being first, but I don't understand the logic of the "its" and "it's" at all.

[bigpassport]

If the rules are: (1) ignore the apostrophe, and (2) the shorter word goes first, it would be:

its then it's
your then you're

BUT if the shorter word goes first, we're not really ignoring the apostrophe. I'd like to know the reasoning on its/it's too.

[Octobermommy]

What grade is she in? That's some pretty hardcore alphabetizing.


3rd. I'll post when I get the answer.

[NCGrandma]

3rd. I'll post when I get the answer.

Please let us know -- when you first posed the question, I had no idea this was an elementary school assignment. Sounds like most BBB'ers would flunk.