When did "Your" replace "You're"

OmenSpirits.com · Jun 29, 2007

I've noticed in some written things that "your" is replacing "you're" in some writings.
ex.
This is from a piece of dialogue-

character 1: "Anybody know what she's yakkin' about? What's she so scared of?"

character 2: "I don't know, your driving."

When did this become correct and where was I when they had the meeting?
Oh, and what the devil's the deal with "teh"? Both have started to annoy me to no end.

I'm not an english hard ass, but my mind automatically corrects them to what I've learned them to be.

Which has just bought up another thought.

Has the advent of the internet destroyed the concept of the written word being done in a correct fashion? Jargon replacing words and lessening the understanding of the original word's use?

TheIT · Jun 29, 2007

In your first example, I'd say "driving" is being treated as a noun rather than a verb, so "your driving" is correct since "your" indicates possession.

As for "teh", that's a typo.

CatSlave · Jun 29, 2007

TheIT said:
In your first example, I'd say "driving" is being treated as a noun rather than a verb, so "your driving" is correct since "your" indicates possession.

As for "teh", that's a typo.

Unless it's a PublishAmerica book, in which case you may expect to see a lot of "your" when "you're" would be correct.

Chumplet · Jun 29, 2007

Never. That example was wrong. If referring to the person who is driving, it should be 'you're driving'. Even if the comma is removed, it's still wrong, because the sentence would be incomplete.

I'm assuming this isn't published work. I'm hoping it isn't, because if it is, Shame on the Editor.

Keep reading. Keep asking. Keep learning.

reenkam · Jun 29, 2007

Chumplet said:
Never. That example was wrong. If referring to the person who is driving, it should be 'you're driving'. Even if the comma is removed, it's still wrong, because the sentence would be incomplete.

Isn't the example correct? In the sentence driving is a noun, as an action, so it's your driving, like it would be my driving or his driving...

From the context it doesn't seem like character 2 would answer with "you're driving"

MacAllister · Jun 29, 2007

Yeah. No. It's dialog. Character A asks a question: What's she so afraid of?
Character B answers: [She's afraid of] Your driving.

scarletpeaches · Jun 29, 2007

In the second sentence the comma should be a semi-colon.

Captain Morgan · Jun 29, 2007

I always use teh instead of the when typing fast. It is a natural habbit, but a well known one. Hence word processors auto-correct this on the fly. This auto-correct though only reinforces my brain to keep it up.

alleycat · Jun 30, 2007

MacAllister said:
Yeah. No. It's dialog. Character A asks a question: What's she so afraid of?
Character B answers: [She's afraid of] Your driving.

Yep.

If the question has been something like, "Where do you want to go?" then it would have been "I don't know, you're driving."

But the question was "What's she so scared of?"
" . . . your driving."

Harper K · Jun 30, 2007

OmenSpirits.com said:
Oh, and what the devil's the deal with "teh"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teh

Whaddaya know, there's a Wikipedia entry for "teh"!

Basically, it's part of 1337 / "leetspeak" that's become fairly Internet-mainstream. It's shorthand and slang that originated from early BBS users, hackers, and gamers. It's a slight jab at people who mistype, and also a way to vaguely make fun of Internet culture while showing you're also a part of it.

"He is teh suck."
"I am teh awesome."
"I'm on teh INTARWEBZ!"

Sentences no one would ever speak in real life!

OmenSpirits.com · Jun 30, 2007

Upon reading the complete story, it was a typo. It should have been "You're" because "your" would need an ? mark after to make it correct by my assessment. But I've still seen 'your' in text and it drive me nuts!

And I've seen 'teh' done so many times that I feel it's done on purpose than accidentally.

Ah, I fear the loss of the written word.

Jamesaritchie · Jun 30, 2007

Chumplet said:
Never. That example was wrong. If referring to the person who is driving, it should be 'you're driving'. Even if the comma is removed, it's still wrong, because the sentence would be incomplete.

I'm assuming this isn't published work. I'm hoping it isn't, because if it is, Shame on the Editor.

Keep reading. Keep asking. Keep learning.

If you've read the entire story, I'll take your word for it being a typo, but if it is, then the entire sentence is wrong.

Chumplet · Jun 30, 2007

reenkam said:
Isn't the example correct? In the sentence driving is a noun, as an action, so it's your driving, like it would be my driving or his driving...

From the context it doesn't seem like character 2 would answer with "you're driving"

Oops. In that context, I see it now.

CatSlave · Jun 30, 2007

OmenSpirits.com said:
Upon reading the complete story, it was a typo. It should have been "You're" because "your" would need an ? mark after to make it correct by my assessment. But I've still seen 'your' in text and it drive me nuts!

And I've seen 'teh' done so many times that I feel it's done on purpose than accidentally.

Ah, I fear the loss of the written word.

If you read the fark.com website, you'll see 'teh' used repeatedly.
I think it's just an internet/chat/text messaging convention, as in:

'He has teh ghey' to indicate a sexual preference (instead of saying 'he is gay').
It seems to be a current fad to write this way.
Maybe someone better versed in these conventions can clarify why this is so.

OOPS, should have read the Satori posting above before commenting. Oh well.
It reinforces what I said.

ResearchGuy · Jun 30, 2007

OmenSpirits.com said:
. . . Has the advent of the internet destroyed the concept of the written word being done in a correct fashion? Jargon replacing words and lessening the understanding of the original word's use?

Or to put it another way, has the Internet led to an explosive spread of bad writing that previously was confined to paper and hand-to-hand transmittal?

Yes.

Semiliterate people can now post their twaddle where everyone can see it.

As for your example:

character 1: "Anybody know what she's yakkin' about? What's she so scared of?"

character 2: "I don't know, your driving."

I think it might have been both correct and clearer were the second line:

character 2: "I don't know. Your driving?"

--Ken

blacbird · Jun 30, 2007

I agree that, in context, "your driving" is correct grammatically. But the superficial confusion is symptomatic of a problem. If you have to stop and figure it out, there's almost certainly a better way to say it. As in:

"I don't know. The way you drive, maybe."

Clarity in expression is your friend.

caw

Maryn · Jul 1, 2007

Oh, good! I have a friend at last.

TemlynWriting · Jul 6, 2007

blacbird said:
I agree that, in context, "your driving" is correct grammatically. But the superficial confusion is symptomatic of a problem. If you have to stop and figure it out, there's almost certainly a better way to say it. As in:

"I don't know. The way you drive, maybe."

Clarity in expression is your friend.

caw

Excellent suggestion!

Oh, and "teh" drives me crazy. An old college roommate of mine, who candidly makes fun of grammar mistakes and the people who make them, has come to use "teh" regularly, like a double standard. That and the [!!!111EleventyOne]. Ugh!

JB_Finesse · Jul 6, 2007

It would be a little better if you changed it to:

"I don't know, your driving?"

Though if you added "maybe" to the end of the sentence it would be much clearer.

blacbird · Jul 6, 2007

TemlynWriting said:
Oh, and "teh" drives me crazy.

Here, your word-processor is your friend. An automatic correction for "teh" to "the" can be set up.

caw

Dawnstorm · Jul 7, 2007

blacbird said:
Here, your word-processor is your friend. An automatic correction for "teh" to "the" can be set up.

caw

But "teh" is correct in 1337!

As in:

LOL!!! ur teh sux

(Somebody should write a novel in leet. Or is there one already? I wouldn't be surprised.)

SouthernFriedJulie · Jul 7, 2007

I hate it when I see 'your' and "you're" used in place of one another.

I hate 'teh', but I used it in my avatar for fun. I tend to write much the way I hear others speak in my fiction stories. I'm trying to speak to them, not at them.

When I see my own grammar mistakes, it drives me crazy. I often think, "I should know better", then beat up on myself for a while. I think most writers I am friends with do this as well.

blacbird · Jul 7, 2007

Dawnstorm said:
But "teh" is correct in 1337!

As in:

LOL!!! ur teh sux

(Somebody should write a novel in leet. Or is there one already? I wouldn't be surprised.)

It has. There was news of just such a thing from someone in Finland last year.

Oh, and back in the 1930s, there was Finnegans Wake.

caw

jordijoy · Jul 7, 2007

You’re is a contraction, meaning you are, and I only use it as such. Cause I'm simple like that.

TemlynWriting · Jul 7, 2007

blacbird said:
Here, your word-processor is your friend. An automatic correction for "teh" to "the" can be set up.

caw

That's a handy function, indeed. I don't often make this mistake, but when I do I catch it quickly. I should have probably clarified that by saying that seeing "teh" drives me crazy.

I can understand it being a mistake; my husband is dyslexic, so I know how typos can be. Seeing it used so commonly on purpose is what bugs me.

When did "Your" replace "You're"

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