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, you should choose  it’s when you intend to say “it is” or “it has.” This is an easy way to remember the difference. For example, i t’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. Another example is "The frog stretched its leg." One other common error when using this possessive form (its) is the use of an apostrophe after the word (its’). However, this isn’t a correct use of this word.

The Difference Between Its and It's

When you're considering whether to use "its" versus "it's", try to replace the word in the sentence with "it is" or "it has". If the sentence is still grammatically correct, then you can use it's . If the sentence is not grammatically correct and the word indicates possession, then use its. 

For example, you may be wondering whether or not to include an apostrophe when talking about a dog scratching its leg. You could write, "The dog scratched its leg. However, you would not want to write, "The dog scratched it's leg" because the following statements would not be correct:
"The dog scratched it is leg."
"The dog scratched it has leg."
It's clear that the two sentences above are not correct, which means you would not use "it's" in the statement. The correct spelling would be "its".

As another example, you may be discussing a boy saying that it is fun to laugh. Would it be correct to state, "The boy said its fun to laugh" or "The boy said it's fun to laugh"? Would it be correct to say, "The boy said it is fun to laugh"? Yes, that would be correct, so "it's" would be the correct spelling.

Once you learn the differences between its and it's, it's easier to practice. After a while, using the correct will come naturally.  

FAQ

When do you use "it's" versus "its"?

Although it's and its are pronounced the same, their meaning differs.

It’s (using an apostrophe) is a contraction, or shortened version of "it is" or "it has". For example, one might say, “It’s time to wake up.”

Its (no apostrophe) is the possessive form of "it". This indicates belonging. For example, one might say, “The bird plucked at its nest.”

What does "its" mean?

Without an apostrophe, its is the possessive form of “it” (e.g., its ears, its thesis, its photo). Its denotes ownership of or belonging to.

 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.