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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:

 

Difference Between its and it’s quiz

Fill in the blank for the following sentences:

Comparatives and Superlatives

In today’s blog post we are going to learn all about comparative adjectives! Learning about comparative adjectives is really important so that you can describe things or people in relation to others. Oftentimes, when we take an adjective and make it a comparative adjective, we add on + ER to the end of the word.
For example: “I am tall” would become “I am taller than my sister”!
“My car is big” would become “my car is bigger than your car”.
The formula is:

Noun (subject) + verb + comparative adjective + than + noun (object).

However, maybe you have noticed that not all adjectives can be transformed into comparative adjectives by simply adding on ER. If a word is long, (typically more than two syllables but not always), we have to add the word more to make it a comparative adjective.

For example : This coat is more expensive than that coat!
My happiness is more important to me than my wealth.

The formula for long words is:

Noun (subject) + verb + more + adjective + than + noun (object).

But what if we want to transform an adjective into a superlative? To do this we often add on EST to the end of an adjective to transform it into a superlative form.

For example: My grandma is the oldest in the family.
I am the tallest in the class!

However, just as before a separate rule comes for adjectives that are particularly long. For these words we need to add on the word MOST.

For example: This test is the most difficult test that you can take.
She is so kind, she is the most supportive teacher I have ever had.

Comparatives and Superlatives quiz

Let’s put it to the test! Try and transform these adjectives into comparative and superlatives adjectives:

Adverbs of degree/intensity and Time Expressions

Welcome to the Scrambled Eggs blog! Here you can find many different resources with which you can learn English. For today’s blog, we are going to talk about adverbs of degree/intensity and also time expressions. Both of these are very helpful in mastering the English language, so let’s get started!

Adverbs of Degree/Intensity:

Adverbs of degree or intensity modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to show the level or extent of an action, quality, or condition. They answer questions like “how much” or “to what extent.”:

Here are some examples:

  1. A little
  2. Very well
  3. Quite well
  4. At allBut how do we use them? Let’s take a look!
  1. “A little” is used to express a small amount or degree of something. For example: “He speaks a little English.”
  2. “Very well” is used to indicate a high degree of proficiency or success in doing something. For example: “She plays the piano very well.”
  3. “Quite well” is used to show a reasonably high level of proficiency or ability. For example: “They danced quite well at the party.”
  4. “At all” is used in negative sentences or questions to emphasize the absence of something. For example: “I don’t like spicy food at all.” / “Did you enjoy the movie at all?”

Time Expressions:

Time expressions are words or phrases that indicate when an action takes place. They help to establish the timeframe or duration of an event or situation.

Here are some examples:

  1. Every few days
  2. Once a year
  3. Once a month
  4. Every day

Now, let’s see how we can use them!

“Every few days” means something happens with a regular frequency but not every day. For example: “He goes to the gym every few days.”

“Once a year” means something happens once in a year, annually. For example: “We have a family reunion once a year.”

“Once a month” means something happens once in a month, monthly. For example: “They meet for dinner once a month.”

“Every day” means something happens each day, daily. For example: “I drink a glass of water every day.”

Now it is your turn to practice using these adverbs and time expressions!

Frequency adverbs quiz

Now it is your turn to practice using these adverbs of frequency. Choose the correct option: