Help me spot the grammar error

[ilovelamp]

This is one of my school assignments. You are supposed to correct the grammar or punctuation error without moving the sentence around. I have already corrected most of them but I can't figure these last few out. Help, please!

1. We just can’t believe how difficult it is.

2. It is not uncommon to spend the night in the ICU after having that type of surgery.

3. It’s fur was very tangled after running through the bushes.

[firelight1210]

Lol, I must have bad grammar - those sound normal to me!

[shopgirl07]

#3 is Its not it's.

[Deleted]

#3 Its. No apostrophe?

[kirra]

#3 should be its

What class is this? I'm wondering if they want you to get rid of contractions and spell out words instead of using acronyms.

[berbles]

Aug 27, 2014 17:11:33 GMT -5 ilovelamp said:

This is one of my school assignments. You are supposed to correct the grammar or punctuation error without moving the sentence around. I have already corrected most of them but I can't figure these last few out. Help, please!

1. We just can’t believe how difficult it is.

2. It is not uncommon to spend the night in the ICU after having that type of surgery.

3. It’s fur was very tangled after running through the bushes.

#2 I think you should use "It is common to spend..."  

[sergey]

I think the 'just' in #1 is unnecessary. Agree with others on #2 'it is common' and 'its' for #3.

[berbles]

Aug 27, 2014 17:15:07 GMT -5 oceanspray said:

Maybe #1, spell out can't? Cannot?

Yes, this.

[ilovelamp]

Thank you all so much, these were killing me. This is for a nursing professionalism class.

1. I will get rid of just and spell out cannot.
2. I wasn't positive if that sentence was a double negative or not.
3. I always confuse it's and its.

[berbles]

Aug 27, 2014 17:20:14 GMT -5 Que? said:

Aug 27, 2014 17:18:05 GMT -5 berbles said:

Yes, this.

This isn't technically an error though?

I agree, but it might be.  It might also be the word just.  Which isn't really an error either, just unnecessary.

[RoxMonster]

Are you allowed to add things to the sentences?

For #1, besides the suggestion of omitting the contraction and the word "just," could it be that you need to explain what was difficult?
Example: We cannot believe how difficult it is to not eat an ice cream cone when it is offered to you (or something else, obviously)

That would be my only other suggestion for #1.

[berbles]

RoxMonster has a good point.

[ilovelamp]

Hmm, I'm not sure what the rules are about adding stuff into a sentence. Maybe I will email my professor and ask. Thanks!

[Deleted]

There is nothing grammatically incorrect about either of the first two sentences.

They may be stylistically clunky, but they are not wrong.

[rosiebear]

I think "just" is redundant. "We just can't believe" means exactly the same thing as "We can't believe." That's my guess.

There is no error in using contractions, and a double negative is not an error, either. I see nothing wrong with sentence 2.

[Deleted]

Aug 27, 2014 17:20:27 GMT -5 ilovelamp said:

Thank you all so much, these were killing me. This is for a nursing professionalism class.

What else do you learn in nursing professionalism? I never knew grammar was included!

[MixedBerryJam]

Aug 27, 2014 17:17:33 GMT -5 sergey said:

I think the 'just' in #1 is unnecessary. Agree with others on #2 'it is common' and 'its' for #3.

I think you're right, but not to put too fine a point on it, saying something "is not uncommon" is not the same as saying something "is common."