Skidmore College Department of Classics

It's is a contraction meaning It is.
Its is the possessive form.
"It's crying for its mother"

ie except after c

rEIgn

alot is NOT ONE WORD : try a lot

although

Their is a possessive, not to be confused with There

Watch your subject/noun agreement:
     "The student presents his/her idea" OR
     "The students present their idea"

The THEN/THAN controversy:
     "Then we went to the store"
     "Easier than stealing candy from a baby"

Altar vs. Alter
     an altar is a place for sacrifice
     alter (a verb) means to change something
     "We altered the altar"

The verb "to lead' has a past tense...
     "Hannibal led the army over the Alps"
     "Col. Mustard did it, with the lead pipe, in the study" (as in the metal lead).