What Are the Differences between It’s and Its??
Understanding the Basics
Let’s say you are writing an email or paper and encounter a tricky word such as its or it’s. Though they sound similar, these two terms have vastly differing definitions and meanings.
Let’s introduce this useful little word, “its.” When seen in a sentence, this shows possession or ownership; when something belongs to “it,” like in: The dog wagged its tail.” Here “its” shows ownership by assigning ownership of tail to dog.
Now, let’s move onto “it’s.” This word is actually an abbreviated form of “it is” or “it has.” So whenever you see “it’s,” try replacing it with one or both words to see if that makes more sense; for instance “It has been a long day.”
Common Mistakes One of the most frequent errors people make when writing is using “it’s” when they should use “its.” Remember, “it’s” is used as a contraction while “its” shows ownership. Another popular oversight occurs when forgetting to include an apostrophe when using the word “it’s.” Ensure this little squiggle shows it’s contraction status!
Sticky Cases
Sometimes it can be challenging to decide the appropriate word(s). A way to test this would be replacing “its” or “it’s” with either “it is” or “it has” and seeing if the sentence still makes sense – if so, then you are on the right path!
Final Thoughts
As previously discussed, the primary difference between “its” and “it’s” lies within their definitions: possession vs contraction. While “its” represents ownership of something; on the other hand “it’s” refers to something being part of someone else’s possession or having been acquired through possession or acquisition. Practice will help ensure you know how to correctly use these two confusing terms!
#ThisIsTheDifference