Working on Aj's Website

Meeting with Gavi and Wendy.

Irregardless or Regardless?

Question: Someone in my office told me that there is no such word as “irregardless.” Is she right?

Answer: She’s right! You can say “regardless,” however, which IS a word.
Now you probably want to know why irregardless is not a word when so many people use it.

“-less” at the end of a word means “without.” (Think about “toothless.”) That makes “regardLESS” mean “WITHOUT regard,” which is probably what you mean when you say “irregardless.”

So what does “irregardless” mean? Nothing—It’s a double negative that reverses the meaning of what you think you are saying. You know what? Don’t say it!

What’s the difference between further and farther?

Question: Fran, what’s the difference between further and farther?

Answer: Both words refer to distance, in a sense. One word refers to distance that can be measured; the other refers to distance in terms of time or degree. Do you know which is which?

“Farther” refers to a distance that can be measured. (Think about the word “far.”)
Example: She lives farther from the Chamber office than I do.

“Further” refers to an intangible distance, such as a length of time or a degree.
Examples: Further investigation revealed a hidden clue in the attic.
She will question the winner further to make sure he was not cheating.

It's or Its?

Question: Many people have asked me about the difference between the words “its” and “it’s.” That tricky, little apostrophe causes tons of problems, but it’s easy to remember the difference between these two words.

Answer: The apostrophe in “it’s” usually stands for “it is.” Anytime you write “it’s,” take a second to replace “it’s” with the words “it is” or “it has” to see if what you wrote makes sense. If it doesn’t make sense, take out the apostrophe.

Here’s an example:

The Chamber is holding “it’s” meeting on September 3, 2008. Now read the “it’s” as “it is”: The Chamber is holding it is meeting on September 3, 2008.

Does that make sense? Then REMOVE THE APOSTROPHE!!!!

The correct way to write the sentence is, “The Chamber is holding its meeting on September 3, 2008.” (No apostrophe is needed!)

Its (without the apostrophe) is used to show possession/ownership. It’s (with the apostrophe) is a contraction for “it is” or “it has.”

Examples : The horse flicked its tail. It’s (it is) hurricane season. It’s (it has) been fun knowing you.