Your vs You’re

You're vs your
You’re building your own house?
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Mixed up English

What’s the difference between your and you’re? Your presence on this page means you’re about to find out.

Your

Your is the second person possessive adjective, used to describe something as belonging to you. Your is always followed by a noun or gerund.

What is your name?

Is this your pen?

Your book is on the table.

This is your chair and this is mine.

What happened to your dog?

This is your best work ever!

Your being here is causing some problems.

I didn’t know your working late would be so difficult.

Your cooking is the best!

You’re

You’re is the contraction of "you are" and can be followed by a present participle, noun, or adjective.

You’re going to be late.

Is that what you’re wearing?

I think you’re lying.

If you’re ready, we can go.

I can’t believe you’re a doctor!

When you’re my age, you’ll understand.

While you’re at it, change the other lightbulb in the kitchen.

You’re welcome.

You’re the best!

The Bottom Line

The confusion between your and you’re occurs because the two words are pronounced pretty much the same.

The ironclad rule – no exceptions – is that if you’re able to replace the word with "you are," you’re saying you’re. Otherwise, your only choice is your.

Related English Mistakes

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Your vs you're

3 Responses

  1. Leonard 27 February 2014 / 13:35

    Here’s one we’ve been discussing.
    “Don’t let the company get away with treating you guys like you’re not important to the company, because you’re.”

  2. lkl 28 February 2014 / 06:13

    Ha, that’s a good one. I guess the problem is that you’re and the other subject pronoun contractions feel incomplete unless they’re followed by an adjective or verb: you’re happy, you’re smiling, I’ll go, etc. Same thing with noun or name + be: “I’m not tired, but John’s” – just doesn’t work. Contractions with not, like can’t, won’t, and aren’t, aren’t limited in that way.

  3. Guy 22 March 2015 / 19:21

    Thanks. Some Jerk on YouTube was hating on someone for their grammar when their own was wrong. Helped me correct him 😀

Comments are closed.