- “Your” is used for possession (Your food is getting cold).
- “You’re” is used as a contraction of “you are” (You’re going to miss the flight).
Key takeaways:
“Your” is a possessive pronoun used to show ownership (e.g., your book, your car).
“You’re” is a contraction of “you are” (e.g., you’re amazing).
Misusing these two words is a common grammatical error but easy to fix with practice.
Part of the series “Grammar Debugged—English for Devs”
English learners and even native speakers often confuse “your” and “you’re,” but these words have distinct meanings and functions. In this Answer, we’ll explain their differences, highlight common mistakes, and provide quizzes to help you master their usage.
“Your” is a
Examples:
“Is this your bag?”
“Don’t forget to bring your homework tomorrow.”
“I love your sense of humor!”
Tip: If you can replace “your” with “my,” “his,” or “her,” and the sentence still makes sense, “your” is the correct choice.
You’re is a contraction of “you are.” It is used to describe a state of being or an action.
Examples:
“You’re the best friend anyone could ask for.” (You are the best friend...)
“I think you’re doing a great job.” (You are doing...)
“If you’re ready, we can start now.” (You are ready...)
Tip: If you can expand "you’re" to "you are" and the sentence still works, then “you’re” is correct.
Choose the correct word (your or you’re) for each sentence:
Don’t forget to bring _____ lunch to school.
_____ going to love this movie!
I can’t believe _____ finally here!
Is that _____ phone on the table?
Here are some frequent errors and how to avoid them:
Word | Type | Meaning | Examples |
Your | Possessive pronoun | Shows ownership | "Is this your jacket?" |
You're | Contraction | Short for "you are" | "You’re late for the meeting." |
Mastering the difference between “your” and “you're” is all about context. Remember, “your” shows possession, while “you're” is short for “you are.”
Match the examples that demonstrate the difference between your vs. you’re:
If _____ not busy, can we talk for a moment?
you’re
Please submit _____ report by Friday.
your
I think _____ mistaken about the directions.
_____ going to need an umbrella today.
Is this really _____ best idea?
Master the nuances of grammar and elevate your writing skills with this comprehensive course: Grokking the Technical Writing Process—your gateway to mastering tricky topics like 'your' vs. 'you're' and beyond!
Haven’t found what you were looking for? Contact Us
To enhance technical writing and minimize common grammar mistakes, continue exploring these topics:
Commonly confused words (homophones & similar-sounding words): These words sound alike but have different meanings and spellings.
Prepositions & usage differences: These words and phrases are often confused due to subtle contextual differences.
Punctuation & formatting: These involve rules for using dashes, abbreviations, and sentence structure.
Grammar & sentence structure: These deal with pronoun choices, verb usage, and comparison.
Free Resources