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I'm always confused about when to use 'its' or 'it’s' in my writing—can someone help?

Asked byAmelia EditorPosted Mar 28, 2026 8:29 PM3 answers27 upvotesCanonical URL

I often find myself second-guessing whether I should write 'its' or 'it’s' when I'm doing homework or sending emails. For example, I wrote, "The company lost it’s main client," but my teacher corrected it to "its."

There are other times like, "It's a great day outside" versus "The cat licked its paw." The rules seem simple, but I get mixed up when I write quickly. Could someone explain the difference with these examples?

Context:
I'm preparing for IELTS and want to avoid these common grammar mistakes.

#apostrophes

What to Know

Question You Likely Still HaveDirect AnswerHow To Apply It
What is the core rule for always confused writing someone?Examples: 'It’s raining outside.' (Means 'It is raining outside.') 'The baby dropped its bottle.' (The bottle belongs to the baby.) Self-Check Practice Tip: Each time you write 'i…Otherwise, use 'its.' Corrective Feedback: If you wrote 'The tree lost it’s leaves,' check: can you say 'The tree lost it is leaves'?
How do I apply always confused writing someone in a sentence like mine?Otherwise, use 'its.' Corrective Feedback: If you wrote 'The tree lost it’s leaves,' check: can you say 'The tree lost it is leaves'?To reliably tell 'its' from 'it’s', use this pattern: 'It’s' = 'it is' or 'it has' (contraction).
What mistakes should I avoid with always confused writing someone?'Its' = possessive adjective (shows ownership – like 'his', 'her', 'their').No—so the correct form is 'its leaves.'

3 Answers

ByClaire CopydeskMar 28, 2026 8:49 PM9 upvotesAccepted answer

To reliably tell 'its' from 'it’s', use this pattern:

'It’s' = 'it is' or 'it has' (contraction).
'Its' = possessive adjective (shows ownership – like 'his', 'her', 'their').

Examples:

  • 'It’s raining outside.' (Means 'It is raining outside.')
  • 'The baby dropped its bottle.' (The bottle belongs to the baby.)

Self-Check Practice Tip:
Each time you write 'it’s', say 'it is' or 'it has' aloud in your sentence. If it fits, use the contraction. Otherwise, use 'its.'

Corrective Feedback:
If you wrote 'The tree lost it’s leaves,' check: can you say 'The tree lost it is leaves'? No—so the correct form is 'its leaves.'

ByPunctuation PaulMar 28, 2026 9:09 PM9 upvotes

Let's contrast 'its' and 'it’s' by focusing on their grammatical roles:

  • 'Its' is possessive, showing that something belongs to 'it' (like 'his' or 'her').
  • 'It’s' always means 'it is' or 'it has.' Try expanding the contraction to double-check.

Examples:

  1. 'The smartphone lost its signal.' ('Signal' belongs to 'smartphone')
  2. 'It’s nearly time for the meeting.' (Can you say 'it is nearly time'? Yes—so 'it’s' is right!)

Practice step:
Write two sentences: one where 'it’s' can be replaced with 'it is', and one where 'its' shows ownership. Swap them and notice how they become incorrect. This helps ingrain the difference.

ByPunctuation PaulMar 28, 2026 9:29 PM9 upvotes

Many writers mix up 'its' and 'it’s'—but you can catch mistakes with a quick test. Remember:

  • 'Its' shows possession (ownership).
  • 'It’s' stands for 'it is' or 'it has.'

Spot the Error:

  • 'The computer updated it’s software.' (Try replacing: 'The computer updated it is software.' That doesn't work. So it should be 'its software.')
  • 'It’s been a long day.' ('It has been a long day.' This works, so 'it’s' is correct.)

Practice idea:
Review your own writing, underline every 'its' or 'it’s', and apply the substitution rule ('it is' or 'it has') to check if you’ve used the right one.

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