Twitter
Email
RSSIt’s or Its?
Most people know that the short version of it is is spelled it’s. After all, an apostrophe replaces a missing letter, which in this case is the i in is. And we know how to spell he’s and she’s. So we write, “It’s going to rain,” not “Its going to rain,” unless we’re typing too fast and leave out the apostrophe accidentally.
But misspelling the possessive form of it is a little more common. So, when writing about something which belongs to someone or something, which is it: it’s or its?
Well, the answer is its, as in “He put on the raincoat and fastened its snaps.” The possessive form of it has no apostrophe.
You can just memorize that and get used to it, but to help you remember, you could keep in mind that other possessive adjectives, such as his and her, do not have apostrophes either.
Got Your Free eBook?
- Subscribe to Daily Writing Tips and you will be able to download our free ebook: Basic English Grammar.
- You will also get all our grammar, spelling, punctuation and writing tips.
- The download link will go along with the first email (you might need to wait up to 24 hours).
Related Articles
- No related posts
What a good way to remember the possessive has no apostrophe, comparing to “his” and “hers”! I wish my English teachers had taught me that. It would have been very helpful.
Nice and neat explanations
As a teacher, I think that the it’s, its problem is the most commonly encountered mistake in English expression.
I tell the kids that it’s so easy. It’s not rocket science! Just remember that it’s with an apostrophe can ONLY mean it is, or occasionally it has, and for all other applications the apostrophe is not required.
This eliminates the those horrible constructions like ‘The dog hurt it’s paw’. If you read it as ‘The dog hurt it is paw’, it’s obviously wrong.