[Grammar] Their and there / it's and its

[Jpking]

Which is correct?
The foundation columns and their bases
Or
The foundation columns and there bases

Also, does 'it's' always mean 'it is' or it's possessive?
E.g.
I've a dog, its name is Musker or
I've a dog, it's name is Musker?

Clarifications will greatly be appreciated. Thanks!:up:

 

[emsr2d2]

Have you looked up the definitions of "their" and "there"?

"It's" can be a contraction of both "It is" and "It has". It is never used for the possessive. That's always "Its".

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Clarifications will greatly be appreciated. Thanks!:up:

Since you said "clarifications" plural, here's another:

Possessive nouns always have apostrophes:

- Jose's homework
- Denmark's colleges

Possessive PROnouns NEVER have apostrophes:

- its (NOT it's!)
- his
- her
- my
- your (NOT you're!)
- our
- their (NOT they're!)

 

[Jpking]

Wow! Thanks a bunch for this poignant, yet helpful tip. I'll still appreciate it though, if you can answer on the usage of 'their and there.' And again, in what I've just said, can 'use' also be be used in place of 'usage?' Thanks.

 

[SoothingDave]

What part of the dictionary definitions of "there" and "their" do you find confusing?

 

[Jpking]

This was helpful! Thanks Charlie. Will appreciate it if you can enlighten me on the use of there and their Thanks.

 

[Jpking]

Thanks. I've always thought their is the plural of there, but how wrong I was. However, am still confused a times. As in the example I stated earlier.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

This was helpful! Thanks Charlie. Will appreciate it if you can enlighten me on the use of there and their Thanks.

Look again at the list of possessive pronouns I gave you. You'll understand if you look there.

 

[Jpking]

So, if I think I've gotten the concept, the answer to my question will be:
The foundation columns and their bases since column is a noun. Right?

 

[SoothingDave]

The question you need to ask yourself is "do the bases belong to the columns?" If so, then a possessive pronoun makes sense.