Its vs. It’s

The Confusion

This is one of the most common mistakes in English. The apostrophe makes it tricky.

It’s = It is / It has

“It’s” is a contraction. The apostrophe replaces the missing letter(s).

It’s = It is

• It’s raining. (It is raining.)
• It’s a beautiful day. (It is a beautiful day.)
• I think it’s correct. (I think it is correct.)
• It’s not fair! (It is not fair!)

It’s = It has

• It’s been a long day. (It has been a long day.)
• It’s got to stop. (It has got to stop.)
• It’s taken too long. (It has taken too long.)

Its = Possession

“Its” (no apostrophe) shows possession. It means “belonging to it.”

Examples

• The dog wagged its tail. (the tail of the dog)
• The company changed its policy. (the policy of the company)
• The cat licked its paw. (the paw of the cat)
• The tree lost its leaves. (the leaves of the tree)

The Simple Test

For “it’s” - substitute “it is” or “it has”

• ✓ It’s raining. → It is raining. ✓ (Use it’s)
• ✗ The dog wagged it’s tail. → The dog wagged it is tail. ✗ (Use its)

For “its” - substitute “his” or “her”

• ✓ The dog wagged its tail. → The dog wagged his tail. ✓ (Use its)
• ✗ Its raining. → His raining. ✗ (Use it’s)

Why the Confusion?

Usually, apostrophes show possession:

• John**‘s** book (the book of John)
• The dog**‘s** tail (the tail of the dog)

But “its” is a possessive pronoun, like “his,” “hers,” “ours,” “theirs”:

• his, hers, its, ours, theirs (no apostrophes)

Common Mistakes

Memory Trick

• It’s = It has / It is (apostrophe replaces a letter)
• Its = like his, hers (no apostrophe for possessive pronouns)

Quiz