Its vs. It’s – How to Use Each Correctly

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Its vs. It’s – What’s the Gist?

Its and it’s are two English homographs, meaning that they are words that have similar spellings and sounds but have entirely different meanings.

  • Its is a personal pronoun showing possession or ownership.
  • It’s is a contraction of two words: the personal pronoun it and the verb is.

its versus it's

How to Use Its in a Sentence

Its definition: The word its is used as third person, gender neutral pronoun in the possessive case. In this sense, it acts as an adjective identifying whose and is placed in front of the noun that it is modifying.

For example:

  • Give the dog its bone. (Adjective)
  • After the impact of the other vehicle, the car flipped on its side. (Adjective)
  • The flower opened its face toward the sun. (Adjective)

If you use its, you are showing that something has ownership or possession.

How to Use It’s in a Sentence

When to use it’s: Contrary to what you might think, having the apostrophe in the word it’s doesn’t mean that it is possessive. Rather, it is a contraction for the words it is or it has.

The apostrophe has replaced the missing letter i. In this case, the word it’s is functioning as a clause, meaning there is a subject and a predicate (even though the verb is shortened to an ’s).

For example:

  • It’s a brand-new day. (Pronoun and partial Verb)
  • Because it’s raining, the windows were closed. (Pronoun and partial Verb)
  • It’s all in their hands whether we win or lose. (Pronoun and partial Verb)

The word you use is largely based on its intended function in a sentence. Do you want an adjective that modifies a noun identifying whose it is? Or are you looking for the subject predicate component found in the contraction it’s?

Determining the sentence function will help you choose the correct word usage.

Outside Examples of Its vs. It’s

  • And recent surveys show that Australia’s “dinosaur tree,” the unique and endemic Wollemi pine, was saved in its single, secret location by dedicated firefighting efforts.-Washington Post
  • Payless ShoeSource has emerged from bankruptcy for the second time, with a focus on international markets. The Topeka, Kansas-based company said Thursday it wants to reinvigorate Latin America, its largest business unit. –Chicago Tribune
  • Whether it’s the single-serve Keurig, espresso Nespresso machine or a traditional coffee maker, it’s important to keep these appliances clean to prevent the growth of bacteria, yeast or even mold. –USA Today
  • Staten Island Republican Councilman Joe Borelli said immigrants as well as New York natives are exiting or bypassing New York because it’s become unaffordable. –New York Post

Phrases That Use Its and It’s

There are some phrases and clauses that use the word its or it’s, including:

Don’t look a gift horse in its mouth: Don’t have a bad attitude when someone gives you something.

  • After receiving the ugly sweater from a great aunt, the ungrateful child heard her mother say, “Be polite. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”

You can’t judge a book by its cover: Not making a hasty assumption based on looks alone.

  • When the boy asserted that he didn’t like oatmeal, his father reminded him to not judge a book by its cover.

It’s your funeral: Meaning that you assume the consequences of your decision.

  • If you don’t want to do your homework, it’s your funeral.

It’s good to be me: That a person is happy in how his or her life is going.

  • I didn’t get a ticket for speeding. It’s good to be me!

How to Remember These Words

The easiest way to remember which of these words you want is to substitute the words it is or it has for the word you think you want. If it makes sense, you know that you want the contraction it’s; if it doesn’t, you know to use the possessive case its.

For example:

  • This table needs it is leg adjusted.

The above sentence doesn’t make sense, so use the word its rather than it’s.

  • This table needs its leg adjusted.

For example:

  • It is a beautiful day.

This sentence does make sense, so you know to use the word it’s.

  • It’s a beautiful day.

Quiz: Its or It’s

  • ______ a great day to be alive!
  • ______ a feast for the eyes.
  • ______ centerpiece was a feast for the eyes.
  • ______ time to get up.

Article Summary

Is its or it’s correct? While these two homographs look very similar, they are not interchangeable, and it’s likely you’ll want to use the contraction it’s.

  • Its is a possessive pronoun showing ownership.
  • It’s is a contraction of the words it and is or has.

Quiz Answers

  • It’s.
  • It’s.
  • Its.
  • It’s.