In short
- Its : neutral possessive, “his / her / its”, never with an apostrophe.
- It’s : contraction of “it is” or “it has”, always with an apostrophe.
- Quick test : replace with “it is” or “it has”; if the sentence works, it’s it’s.
- Common pitfall : its’ does not exist, in any form.
- Homophones : both words are pronounced exactly the same way.
Its and it’s are pronounced identically, which explains a frequent confusion in writing, even among native speakers. A single apostrophe, however, separates two very different grammatical functions. This guide details the rule, a reliable substitution test, and the most common errors.
Its : the possessive without an apostrophe
Its means “his”, “her”, or “its” when the possessor is not a person: an animal, an object, a company, a phenomenon. It is a possessive determiner, just like his or her, but reserved for the neutral third person singular.
- The cat licked its paw. → The cat licked its paw.
- The company changed its logo. → The company changed its logo.
- I like this phone for its camera. → I like this phone for its camera.
The complete overview of English possessive determiners, including for people (his, her, their), can be found in the guide on possessive pronouns and adjectives in English.
It’s : the contraction with an apostrophe
It’s is the contracted form of two different constructions: it is or it has.
- It’s raining today. → It is raining today. (it is)
- It’s a beautiful day. → It is a beautiful day. (it is)
- It’s been a long time. → It has been a long time. (it has)
- It’s been a pleasure working with you. → It has been a pleasure working with you. (it has)
The substitution test
To choose between the two forms, simply replace the word with it is or it has in the sentence. If the result remains grammatically correct, the form with the apostrophe is required. Otherwise, the possessive its is the right choice.
| Sentence to test | Substitution | Result |
|---|---|---|
| The dog wagged ___ tail. | The dog wagged it is tail. | Incorrect → its |
| ___ raining outside. | It is raining outside. | Correct → it’s |
| The company updated ___ website. | The company updated it is website. | Incorrect → its |
| ___ been a while since we talked. | It has been a while since we talked. | Correct → it’s |
Why its never has an apostrophe
Most English possessives take an apostrophe followed by an “s”: John’s car, the dog’s bowl. Its is a deliberate exception to this rule, precisely to avoid any confusion with the contraction it’s. A form like its’, with an apostrophe after the “s”, does not exist under any circumstances: only its (possessive) and it’s (contraction) are correct.
Its according to the type of possessor
Its covers several categories of non-human possessors.
| Category | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Animal | The dog wagged its tail. | The dog wagged its tail. |
| Object | The phone had its screen cracked. | The phone’s screen was cracked. |
| Plant | The tree lost its leaves in autumn. | The tree lost its leaves in autumn. |
| Organization | The university celebrated its 100th anniversary. | The university celebrated its 100th anniversary. |
Its is not used for a human being or for an animal whose gender is specified: in that case, his or her is required. Tom cannot swim, but his Labrador can. The water is its natural element. → His refers to Tom, its refers to the dog, whose gender is not specified in the sentence.
Its is also equivalent to the Saxon genitive applied to the possessor: its tail is the same as saying the dog’s tail. This equivalence helps verify that it is indeed a possessive relationship, and not a contraction.
In a professional context
The confusion between the two forms also frequently appears in professional writing: product sheets, emails, reports.
- I particularly like its 24-inch flat screen. → I particularly like its 24-inch flat screen. (possessive: the screen belongs to the computer)
- This device has been praised for its user-friendliness. → This device has been praised for its user-friendliness. (possessive)
- It’s time to take a break. → It is time to take a break. (it is)
- Here’s my report. It’s not yet final. → Here is my report. It is not yet final. (it is)
One homophone among others
The confusion between its and it’s follows the same mechanism as other English homophones frequently mixed up in writing, such as there, their, and they’re, the distinction of which is covered in the guide on there, they’re, their in English. In both cases, an identical pronunciation masks distinct grammatical functions, and only the meaning of the sentence allows you to decide in writing.
Practical exercise
Check your understanding of its and it’s:
1. The cat is cleaning ___ paws.
2. ___ a beautiful day today.
3. The company changed ___ logo last year.
4. ___ been a long time since we last spoke.
5. Which of these forms never exists in English?
6. I like this laptop for ___ battery life.
Your score
