Proofreading Service - Pain in the English
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Proofreading Service - Pain in the English
Proofreading Service - Pain in the English

Your Pain Is Our Pleasure

24-Hour Proofreading Service—We proofread your Google Docs or Microsoft Word files. We hate grammatical errors with a passion. Learn More

worthwhile debate

“For all it’s worth” or “for all its worth”?

e.g. He rolled the R for all it’s worth.

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Comments

I suppose either one could be correct. I can't, personally, see any problem with either.

Kevin_Hall Oct-14-2005

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For what it is worth.

so i think it should be it's.

DJjothic1 Oct-14-2005

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"okay im only gonna say this once... 'OHHHH if you being possisive then it's I-T-S, if it's a contraction then its I-T-apostrophe-S', scalawag"
Strongbad www.homestarrunner.com
(side note it's true)

ben_ostendorf Oct-15-2005

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Either. The only difference is the case you use. The worth is either in the predicate, or the worth is being possessed by "it". The "it" you are refering to is the comment that follows.

"For all it is worth." Predicate, worth it is.
"For all its worth." Possession, the worth of it.

Replace "it" with "the comment":

"For all the comment is worth." Predicate, the worth is the comment.
"For all the comment's worth." Possession, the worth of the comment.

Replace "it" with another pronoun, "they":

"For all they are worth." Predicate, the worth are they.
"For all their worth." Possession, the worth of them.

Emily1 Oct-16-2005

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One last thing, in this particular example, you are using the phrase to show possession.

He rolled the R for all the worth of the R.

Emily1 Oct-16-2005

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Emily, what about the alternative:

He rolled the R for all it is worth.

He rolled the dice for all their worth OR He rolled the dice for they're worth. Fitty-fitty.

Brad_Montreal Oct-17-2005

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Shit. Forgot the all.

Brad1 Oct-17-2005

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Other alternative:

He rolled the R for all it was worth.

Jon2 Oct-18-2005

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IT'S is a contraction of it is. ITS is the possessive form. You could go either way with this one because both make sense. .. for all it is worth. for all the worth that belongs to it. . . they both work.

cheers.

shanon Nov-28-2005

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Either COULD work gramatically, but USUALLY, it's "All it's worth." For all that it is worth.

Dredsina1 Dec-13-2007

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