The Difference Between its and it’s

Finding the difference between its and it’s is a common very common challenge, even for English speakers.  But here’s an exercise and lesson that will help guide you through the process of using its versus it’s:

Its: Without the apostrophe, this word is a possessive pronoun, his or her, for objects/things without gender.

• The word its is often used in reference to something owned by a person or thing previously mentioned in the sentence, such as:
• The table made a sound in its legs when he put his plate down.

The word its can also be used in reference to a noun without a defined gender.   Choose its when you want to give something ownership, for example:

• My mom yelled when the dog spilled its water bowl.

It’s: With an apostrophe, this word is a contraction, meaning it is or is has

• It’s, happens to be a contraction meaning it is or it has.

• It’s been two hours since he texted me back
• It’s the relationship that I have with my students that really makes me happy

All in all, this process can be tricky, but with practice and reading, you will be on your merry way to mastering these two words.

It’s about time you figure out how to find the difference between it’s and its!  I know you can do it, even if your brain has its bad and good days.  Here are some exercises to help: