Download ArticleDownload ArticleThis article was co-authored by Noah Taxis. Noah Taxis is an English Teacher based in San Francisco, California. He has taught as a credentialed teacher for over four years: first at Mountain View High School as a 9th- and 11th-grade English Teacher, then at UISA (Ukiah Independent Study Academy) as a Middle School Independent Study Teacher. He is now a high school English teacher at St. Ignatius College Preparatory School in San Francisco. He received an MA in Secondary Education and Teaching from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education. He also received an MA in Comparative and World Literature from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a BA in International Literary & Visual Studies and English from Tufts University.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
This article has been viewed 934,330 times.
Like most English speakers, you probably confuse "its" with "it's" on occasion. This mistake is easy to make and easy to fix. To eliminate this tic from your writing, just remember that "it's" always means "it is" or "it has." If you get in the habit of checking your sentences for this common error, you'll soon be rid of it!
Steps
It's and Its Usage Cheat Sheet
Use "its" to indicate possession. When the pronoun is "it," the possessive form is "its." Like the possessive determiners "hers" and "his," "its" doesn't need an apostrophe to indicate possession. Write "its" to describe something that belongs to, or is a part of, an animal, plant or inanimate object. Some example sentences may include:[1]- My oak tree loses its leaves in autumn.
- My neighbor's cat never stays in its own yard.
- That bottle of wine is cheap, but it has its charms.
- Google needs to update its privacy policy.
Include an apostrophe when "it's" means "it is" or "it has." Only use the apostrophe if "it's" is a contraction of "it is" or "it has." Some sample sentences include:[2]- "It's a nice day"
- "It's been a nice day"
- "Let's see that movie: I hear it's amazing!"
Advertisement
Use replacement to double check. If you're reading a sentence and you're not sure if "its" or "it's" is appropriate, try replacing the word with "it is" or "it has." If you can replace the "it's" or "its" with "it is" or "it has," then you should use an apostrophe ("it's").[3]- Take this sample sentence: "The tire had lost ___ air."
- Replace the blank with "it is" or "it has": "The tire had lost it is air." This is clearly wrong.
- Therefore, the sentence should be: "The tire had lost its air." Because the air belonged to the tire, the "its" is possessive.
- Remember, if you can't replace "it's" with "it is" or "it has," then using the apostrophe would be wrong.
Look at the sample sentence. You'll need to either use "its" or "it's" in the blank. "The museum needs to update __ online schedule for summer."
Ask yourself if "it is" or "it has" could replace the "it's." To determine if an apostrophe should be used, ask yourself if the "it's" is indeed a short form of "it is" or "it has." If you're not sure, read the sentence aloud.[4]- Does the phrase "it is" or "it has" fit in the sentence? The museum needs to update it is online schedule for summer. The answer, of course, is "no."
- Could you use "its" to refer to something that belongs to an inanimate object? Yes, because the online schedule belongs to the museum. The right answer is: The museum needs to update its online schedule for summer.
Try the same method for the following sentence. "___ hard to tell the difference between those shades of green."[5]- Does the phrase "it is" or "it has" fit in the sentence? It is hard to tell the difference between those shades of green.
- The phrase "it is" fits perfectly into the sentence, so you don't have to ask yourself any further questions. The correct answer is: It's hard to tell the difference between those shades of green.
Community Q&A
- QuestionWhen do I use "it's?"
Community Answer"It's" is the contraction of the phrase, "It is." Where you could use "it is," you can use "it's" instead. - QuestionWhen do I use "it"?
DonaganTop Answerer"It" is a pronoun used to take the place of a genderless noun. - QuestionWhich word is correct for the sentence, "The book about the moon is about the moon and (it's/its) phases"?
Community Answer"Its," because "it's" is a contraction of "it is" and "its" is possessive.
Tips
Warnings
- When you're typing an email or a paper, your spell checker won't necessarily catch an error between "its" and "it's." Make sure that you reread your writing carefully to catch any mistakes instead of relying on spell check.Thanks
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about academic writing, check out our in-depth interview with Noah Taxis.
References
- ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/when-to-use-its-vs-its
- ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/its-vs-its/
- ↑ https://www.dictionary.com/e/its-vs-its/
- ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/its-vs-its
- ↑ https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-its.html
About This Article
One way to use “its” is to indicate possession, so when the pronoun is “it,” the possessive form is “its.” For example, “My oak tree loses its leaves in autumn.” You’d only add an apostrophe when “it’s” means “it is” or “it has.” For example, “It’s a nice day,” or “It’s been a nice day.” If you’re reading a sentence and aren’t sure if “its” or “it’s” is appropriate, try replacing the word with “it is” or “it has.” If you can substitute “it is” or “it has,” then you should use the apostrophe. To learn how to practice using “its” and “it’s” correctly in a sentence, keep reading!
Reader Success Stories
"The best part is when they say, "It's is, it is". I like explanations short and informative."
Did this article help you?
⚠️ Disclaimer:
Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.
- - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
- - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
- - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
- - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.
