“Its” vs. “It’s”: How do we use them correctly?

The difference between its and it’s

In order to determine when to use its and it’s, you need to figure out if the word is a possessive pronoun or a contraction.

• Its(without an apostrophe) is a possessive pronoun, just like his and herfor nouns that have a neutral gender.
• It’s(with an apostrophe) is the contraction of it is or ithas.

If you can replace either it is, or it has for it’s in a sentence, then you are using it correctly. Alternatively, the correct word is its, as long as it shows possession over the noun it comes after.

How to use it’s?

“It’s” is a contraction that can mean either “it is” or “it has.”

For example, let’s take “where’s” (“where is”) or “there’s” (“there is”): in these cases, the apostrophe signals that two words have been combined. The way to check if “it’s” is correct is to see if you can replace it with “it is” or “it has” and still have the wording make sense.

The key takeaway is that the apostrophe indicates missing letters—specifically, the “i” from “is” or the “ha” from “has.”

How to use its?

“Its” is the possessive form of “it” and is used to show ownership or belonging.

It usually refers back to something already mentioned, such as in:

“The company updated its logo to reflect a more contemporary style.”

“Its” can also refer to things or animals without a specified gender:

“The mobile phone recharged its battery overnight.”

A simple rule is that when you’re indicating possession, you should use “its,” not “it’s.” Also, “its” is typically followed by the noun being owned, like “its color palette” or “its charging station.”

Its vs. it’s examples

Examples of its

• A bike is no good without its wheels.
• I like the package and smell of the lotion, but not its texture.
• The company faced many challenges, yet it managed to regain its strength.
• The book has its good and not-so-good chapters.
  
  

Examples of it’s

• It’s not your fault if she misses the meeting.
• I don’t think it’s a good idea to buy that pink dress.
• It’s been 2 weeks since I emailed her, and I still haven't received an answer.
• It’s so cold today.

Examples of its and it’s in the same sentence

The phone lost its signal, and now it’s unable to connect to the network.

The car needs its engine checked because it’s showing a red light on the screen.