Its vs It’s
The words its and it’s are among the most commonly confused words in English. Why? There are many reasons for this. First, its and it’s are homophones, meaning they sound the same but have different meanings. Second, their spelling is very similar, with the only difference being an apostrophe. Third, the meaning of it’s is often mistaken for its due to the use of the possessive apostrophe in English.
Its: Possessive Adjective
Its is a possessive adjective, which shows ownership or belonging. It is used to describe something that belongs to or is related to an object or animal (without gender).
The dog bit its bone.
The school celebrated its anniversary.
It’s: Contraction of “It is” or “It has”
It’s is the contracted form of either it is or it has.
It is a great day for a walk
It has been a tough week at work.
It is a nice day today.
If you’re not sure which verb is used, you can replace the contracted form (it’s) with the full form, and it will become clear which verb fits the context.
The Saxon Genitive (Possessive Form)
In English, possession is often shown by the Saxon genitive, which is formed by adding an apostrophe (’) and s to a noun. This is why it’s is often confused with its, which is used to show possession. However, it’s cannot be used for possessive pronouns in English. Possession is shown by using possessive adjectives (like its, my, your, etc.).
The child was playing with its toy.
The child held its book.
The car’s door was open.
| Personal Pronoun | Possessive Adjective |
|---|---|
| I | my |
| you | your |
| he | his |
| she | her |
| it | its |
| we | our |
| you | your |
| they | their |
