The Core Difference In One Look
- Apostrophe = missing letters
- No apostrophe = possession
- Same sound = different roles
The tricky part is that it’s and its sound identical, so the meaning has to do the heavy lifting.
If you’re choosing between it’s and its, you’re really choosing between a contraction and a possessive form. The apostrophe in it’s is not about ownership. It’s there because letters are missing, like in other short forms you see every day.
What “It’s” Means
It’s is a contraction. It compresses either it is or it has, and the apostrophe marks the missing letters. ✅Source
- it’s = it is (present tense identity or description)
- it’s = it has (auxiliary have used in present perfect)
Examples that show it’s as it is:
- ✅ It’s quiet in here.
- ✅ It’s ready now.
- ✅ It’s my turn.
Examples that show it’s as it has (often followed by a past participle):
- ✅ It’s been a long day.
- ✅ It’s gone missing.
- ✅ It’s finished already.
What “Its” Means
Its signals possession or a close relationship. In modern grammar terms, it’s most often a possessive determiner because it sits right before a noun: its name, its shape, its purpose.
- ✅ The device lost its connection.
- ✅ The company changed its logo.
- ✅ The plant opened its leaves in the morning light.
A useful way to frame its is to line it up with other possessive words that also avoid apostrophes: his, her, our, their. Its behaves the same way, even though the spelling feels different at first.
Why The Apostrophe Feels Backwards Here
In English, apostrophes often show possession with nouns (like “the book’s cover”). That pattern trains the eye to expect an apostrophe for ownership. But pronouns are a different system: possessive pronouns don’t take apostrophes, and its follows that rule. ✅Source
So you get this odd pairing: it’s uses an apostrophe for missing letters, while its shows possession with no apostrophe at all. That’s the whole mystery, and it’s purely about grammar roles.
Where They Appear In Real Sentences
“It’s” In Context
It’s usually sits near a verb idea: identity, condition, or time. Read it as it is or it has, and the sentence keeps its logic.
- ✅ It’s still open.
- ✅ It’s been updated.
- ✅ It’s exactly what we needed.
“Its” In Context
Its typically sits right before a noun. It’s doing the same job as my or their, pointing to relationship or ownership.
- ✅ The tool has its own case.
- ✅ The system knows its limits.
- ✅ The label lost its color over time.
Common Mix-Ups That Change Meaning
Swapping it’s and its isn’t just a spelling slip. It changes the grammar role of the word, so the sentence can flip from ownership to a verb phrase without warning.
-
✅ It’s time to leave. (= it is)
❌ Its time to leave. (reads like “the time belonging to it”) -
✅ The robot found its charger. (possession)
❌ The robot found it’s charger. (reads like “it is charger”) -
✅ It’s been repaired. (= it has)
❌ Its been repaired. (missing the verb contraction) -
✅ Its color is brighter now. (possession/attribute)
❌ It’s color is brighter now. (reads like “it is color”)
A common editorial check is to expand it’s into it is or it has and see whether the sentence still makes sense. That works because it’s is only a contraction, never a marker of ownership. ✅Source
Side-By-Side Comparison Table
This is the cleanest way to separate it’s and its: one is a short form of a verb phrase, the other is a possessive form that points to a noun.
| Form | What It Is | What It Means | Typical Pattern | Example | Frequent Mix-Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| it’s | Contraction | it is / it has | Often before an adjective, noun phrase, or past participle | ✅ It’s been great. | ❌ Used for possession (“it’s cover”) |
| its | Possessive determiner | belonging to it / related to it | Almost always right before a noun | ✅ The phone lost its signal. | ❌ Missing apostrophe when meaning “it is” (“its cold”) |
- One-Line Memory Hook
- it’s has a verb hiding inside it; its points to a noun.
- Why This Error Is So Common
- Even strong writers mix these up because apostrophes usually signal possession with nouns, but not with possessive pronouns like its. ✅Source
- A Form That Looks Plausible But Doesn’t Work
- its’ is not a standard English form. The possessive is its, and the contraction is it’s.
FAQ
Straight Answers To Common Questions
Is “its” Ever Written With An Apostrophe?
In standard usage, its is the possessive form and it has no apostrophe. The apostrophe version it’s is reserved for the contraction (it is / it has).
Can “It’s” Mean “It Was”?
It’s stands for it is or it has, not it was. That’s why “it’s yesterday” doesn’t work, while “it’s late” does.
Why Doesn’t “Its” Use An Apostrophe For Possession?
Because its behaves like other possessive pronouns (his, hers, theirs), which don’t use apostrophes. The apostrophe is doing a different job in it’s: it marks a contraction.
Is “Its” A Pronoun Or A Determiner?
In many modern grammar descriptions, its is a possessive determiner because it typically comes right before a noun (its design, its edge). You’ll also see it labeled a possessive pronoun in some teaching materials; both labels point to the same core idea: possession without an apostrophe.
What About “Its’” With The Apostrophe After The S?
Its’ is not a standard form in contemporary English. The possessive is its, and the contraction is it’s. If you see its’, it’s almost always an editing slip.
Does Formal Writing Avoid “It’s”?
Some formal styles prefer fewer contractions, so writers may choose it is instead of it’s. That’s a style choice, not a grammar change. The meaning rule stays the same: it’s = it is or it has; its = possession.