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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
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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] X Research source
- 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.
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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] X Research source
- "It's a nice day"
- "It's been a nice day"
- "Let's see that movie: I hear it's amazing!"
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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] X Research source
- 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.
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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."
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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] X Research source
- 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.
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Try the same method for the following sentence. "___ hard to tell the difference between those shades of green." [5] X Research source
- 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.
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Community Q&A
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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.
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QuestionWhen do I use "it"?DonaganTop Answerer"It" is a pronoun used to take the place of a genderless noun.
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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.
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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
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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
Article Summary
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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!
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