The following is grammatically accurate: true or false?
"It's true; the dog licked its own genitals."
Answer: Depends on your preference regarding use of the semicolon.
Oh, you thought I'd focus on something else. How about a bit of a rant?
~
People who cannot get the hang of the possessive not indicated with apostrophes need to stop using contractions. They won't, because they're idiots (even if they comport themselves with reasonable skill in areas other than grammar), and more so because they can get away without correctly differentiating "it's" from "its"; such distinctions are no longer of import in our society (the failure to know the difference would not prevent one from being elected president, for example).
These are the depths to which we have fallen. Perhaps more accurately, these are the depths where we have always been but where previously we pretended we were above but where the shared delusion has worn away.
OK, I've been away this week, but I didn't want you to think I'd let this slide. 1) Two independent clauses not connected by a conjunction always use a semi-colon. Possibly, in the example, a colon might suffice...a comma? NEVER. 2) People still distinguish between its and it's. It's taught in school, and I cannot stress the importance of its accurate use. Do not encourage the improper use of grammar by making claims that such things no longer matter!
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