Gateway to Grammar: It’s or Its?

Are you having trouble remembering whether you should be using “It’s” or “Its”? Join the club. Native English speakers, and in this case at least one native English teacher, struggle with it too. It breaks the rules and confuses us all. Buckle up as we go through the gateway to Grammar Town!

We use apostrophes to contract (smash two words together) and to show ownership.

Wasn’t = Was not (Contraction)

John’s = Something belonging to John (ownership)

So how does this work with “it”?

“It’s” is a contraction. It’s = it is / it has

Its = ownership (Its shadow, its sound, its smell)

The reason that “its” has no apostrophe is that it would be identical to the contraction and then we would be even more confused. If that is possible. I am already at a 9 out of 10 for confusion myself.

Remember that the apostrophe is only for contractions with the word it. It indicates that two words have been stuck together like Lego. No apostrophe means nothing is missing, it is only ownership.

Do you know a neat way to remember this? Tell me in the comments and share it with other learners!

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