Difference Between Your and You’re

One might ask why we have to study English in school, even those that use it as a first language. We are taught how to read and write in English, how to construct sentences using words and how to express ourselves through writing or speaking the language.

Although not all of us are seeking careers in the literary field, it is very important for us to learn how to use English. It is the most commonly used language in the world and is therefore the language that influences us the most.

The English language is full of words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. We need to learn how to distinguish the differences between these words in order to understand and be understood better.

Two of the most commonly used and misused words are your and you’re.  Of course, we all know that they both come from the root word you, a pronoun used to refer to the one or ones being addressed.

Your

Your is used before another word, usually a noun or a pronoun, to show that it belongs to you, is of you, or is related to you. It is a possessive adjective and is used when describing something that is possessed by the second person.

It is used to describe something that belongs to the person you are talking to or the person that you are talking about. It must not be followed by another adjective if the adjective is being used to describe the person that you are talking to.

You’re

You’re is a contraction of the words you are. It has no other uses but this. It is two words put together to make another word, with the symbol ‘ replacing the missing letter ‘a’. To check the correctness of the word that you are using, the sentence should still make sense if you change that word you’re with the words you are.

The word, you’re, fulfills two important roles in a sentence or clause that includes a noun and a verb.  So in a sentence or clause, the word you’re will always be the subject or part of the verb.

Examples

1. You’re very kind. (This is correct since you can expand it to: You are very kind.)
2. Your very kind. (This is wrong because it is followed by a word used to describe the person you are talking to.)
3. Your son is very kind. (This is correct since it refers to someone that is related to the person you are talking to.)
4. You’re son is very kind. (This is wrong since it does not refer to you but it refers to your son.)

Summary

1. You’re is a contraction of you are, while your is a possessive adjective.
2. You’re is a combination of two words, while your is only one word.
3. You’re refers to you, the person being talked to while your refers to the person or thing that the person owns, is related to, or anything about him.