Commonly Confused Words: It's versus Its

A common grammatical conundrum that puzzles many writers is understanding when to use its versus it’s. While this may seem confusing, there is a simple way to determine the correct choice between it’s and its. In fact, these two different words actually represent two different parts of speech.

It’s is a form of speech known as a contraction. Contractions include words such as don’t, won’t, and isn’t. It is this last contraction that is useful to consider when thinking about it’s. Don’t is a contraction replacing “do not” while won’t is a contraction replacing “will not”; isn’t is a contraction that replaces “is not.” It’s is a contraction replacing “it is” or “it has.” Therefore, choose it’s when you intend to say “it is” or “it has.” It’s my intention as the author of this article to help you discern the difference between these two commonly confused words: it’s and its.

On the other hand, its is a possessive form of speech; specifically, this form of its signifies belonging. The greatest attribute of this short article is its articulation of the difference between two commonly confused words. I hope that this paper serves its purpose in assisting writers and aspiring writers to understand the difference between it’s and its.  One other common error when using this possessive form is the use of an apostrophe after the word (its’). However, this isn’t a correct use of this word.

 Professional Help for Your Writing

It’s a challenge to understand the vast amount of rules in the English language. However, if you need help writing your paper, consider using some of the resources on Editor World: Writing, Editing, & Proofreading Services. Using a resource has its benefits for improving your writing. It’s a great idea to seek the services of a professional editor to improve and polish your document. When faced with the choice between it’s and its, remember that the apostrophe in it’s indicates a contraction, while its represents possession.