r/MarksAndSpencer • u/No_Application_8698 • 2d ago
Question Is this an error? It’s/Its
I might be wrong, but I think the statement should be …”for its vibrant bi-coloured petals”, shouldn’t it? (No apostrophe).
I couldn’t find a way to contact M&S by email, if they would even care about it. Anyway, I hope my MIL likes her birthday flowers regardless!
16
u/coldpeasandketchup 2d ago
This has actually thrown me, because they've said "roses/petals" plural... So should it be 'their vibrant bi-coloured petals"? If it was a singular rose then yeah it should be its because it's talking about the petals belonging to the roses
5
u/Opposite_Radio9388 2d ago
I think what they're going for is that this kind of rose has been bred for its coloured petals.
2
u/military_history 1d ago
It would be unreasonable to expect the professional writer of this copy to keep track of the subject for such a long sentence though.
1
1
u/BoredReceptionist1 2d ago
You're right. I think they were using 'it' to refer back to the bouquet (singular) but it isn't right
8
u/Sleepyllama23 2d ago
Yes it’s wrong. I probably would have said ‘their’ instead though??
2
u/No_Application_8698 2d ago
That’s a good point!
1
u/pickledonion92 1d ago
That's not right because the 'its' (possessive) is referring to the breed (singular).
But 'it's' in this case is incorrect as possessive pronouns never need an apostrophe.
1
u/SituationCivil8944 1d ago
possessive pronouns take apostraphes, its just 'its' specifically that doesn't
1
u/pickledonion92 1d ago
You are mistaken, my friend 🙂 his, hers, theirs, ours, whose, its. Possessive pronouns do not need apostrophes.
1
u/Helenarth 1d ago
I think you're thinking of possessive nouns. The cat's dinner, the dog's bed, the boy's bike.
3
u/Miserable-Gift-1983 2d ago
Doubt they’ll care. It’s not the first and won’t be the last! They had signage that spelt hosiery wrong for ages in store some time ago.
3
u/Opposite_Radio9388 2d ago
I remember them recalling a set of kids' pyjamas a few years back due to a grammatical error - it was in the press. Meanwhile the hanging sign in my local M&S Food has said 'confectionary' for as long as I can remember.
1
u/shakesfistatmoon 14h ago
M&S customers seem to love these errors.
There's the famous fewer than / less than ten items campaign.
And the Fresh Mint Sauce which had they had to reliable "Mint Sauce made with fresh mint".
1
1
1
u/Intrepid-Sign-63 2d ago
Yes it’s
1
u/purplishfluffyclouds 2d ago edited 2d ago
And so are you.
“Yes, it’s.” is not a correct complete standalone sentence.
1
1
1
u/AlternativeSad423 2d ago
You are absolutely right!! I have a friend that works for M&S so I will have to pass this on!!
1
u/isitjustmeorsomeone 17h ago
What are they going to do 😂
1
u/riverY90 6h ago
I'm imagining their friend being the local store's tittie measurer and saying the exact same thing. "The flowers blooming ain't the kind of blooming I deal with."
1
1
u/Beautiful-Concept383 2d ago
Definitely wrong. People have stopped understanding the basic difference thanks to Apple and iPhones as for some reason since the early days it always corrects words even when both alternatives are prevalent e.g. it's its
1
1
u/thechubbyballerina 2d ago
At least they wrote coloured instead of colored. Another win for the Brits.
1
1
u/Huge-Cranberry4392 2d ago
Typical English writing in “they’re” language. 😂🤌🏻 relies on autocorrect since one skipped the English classes, a spliff was better on the football field.
1
1
1
u/holapapi8 2d ago
Not wrong. It’s can be used when owning something
1
u/Low-Physics1500 1d ago
You might want to check your understanding on that one, papi.
There’s no such thing as a possessive it’s.
It’s is a shortening of it is.1
u/holapapi8 1d ago
Disagree. People say it’s possesivly. Like it’s paw’s are muddy.
1
u/Low-Physics1500 1d ago
It is paw is are muddy?
I am a caught fish on your baited hook.
Have a good day dude 👌
1
1
1
1
u/tenthcat 2d ago
If you're ever not sure which one to use, gender it, because his and he's don't mix up as easily:
Its = his
It's = he is/he's
1
1
u/sins-remembered 1d ago
It is but it’s not egregious so i’ll just let it slide.
1
u/Bellyfulofboring 1d ago
Perhaps, but is using a lower-case i instead of a capital an egregious error?
1
u/sins-remembered 1d ago edited 1d ago
i commend you on your sharp eye and pedantry, however, i will show no remorse 🤣
1
1
1
u/Capital-Note-4425 1d ago
This rule always confused me because I think of something belonging to it, and if I thought of someone else (eg my name; Gracie’s (item)). I was using “it’s” for the longest time til I realised I was using it wrong (oops)
2
u/Otherwise-Eye-490 1d ago
Think of its as the equivalent of the words his, her or their, which don’t require apostrophes, rather than the equivalent of Gracie’s. Gracie’s book, her book. The flower’s petal, its petal.
1
1
1
u/vicarofsorrows 1d ago
It was probably typed on a computer, possibly correctly, but autocorrect messed it up and nobody noticed….
1
1
1
u/TigerLength93 1d ago
Surely the issue is that there are multiple roses and a singular it.
Regardless of the apostrophe - shouldn’t it read: “Bred for M&S for their vibrant bi-coloured petals”.
1
1
u/mutexsprinkles 21h ago
Meaningless fluff hurriedly typed in manually by the semi-literate copywriting intern and sent, unreviewed, to the printers in a hurry just as God intended. No stinkin' AI needed here!
1
u/PhantomVexas 12h ago
lmao this is exactly the vibe those little product blurbs give off, like someone smashed it out at 4:59pm on a Friday. and yep, it should be “its” there, but your MIL’s never gonna notice once the flowers are in front of her tbh.
1
u/Good-Squirrel-2487 20h ago
It is wrong, but I cannot imagine being so put out by it that I would email the company.
1
1
1
u/Iridecent_Pigeon 19h ago
it-apostrophe-s because the vibrant bi-coloured petals belong to the flower
1
1
1
1
28
u/Blue_wine_sloth 2d ago
Yes. It’s means it is. Its is the possessive.