It’s and Its

ITS vs IT’S

Its or It’s?

It is important that you understand the difference between IT’S vs ITS. They are a pair of homophones.

Its and It’s are very often used incorrectly by native speakers. When you’re in a hurry, you might write “it’s” when you really mean “its,” or the other way around. You need to be aware of this mistake and know when to use which.

ITS Meaning and Examples

• Its is possessive of the pronoun It.
• It appears in front of the noun it describes.

ITS Examples:

• The dog is wagging its tail.
• The baby is sleeping in its cot.
• The table is useless now. Its legs are broken.
• The computer looked as though itspower supply had failed.
• A car is no good without its wheels.

IT’S Meaning and Examples

• It’s is a contraction of “It is” or “It has.”
• The contraction keeps the sentence short, simple, and easy to read.

IT’S Examples:

• It’s quite hot today.
• It’s going to be a long day.
• Please go back to class immediately. It’s not right to skip classes.
• “Do you know where my purse is?” – “It’son the table”.
• It’s been a year since the last time they met.