What is the difference between ‘its’ and ‘it’s’?
The words ‘its’ and ‘it’s’ are often confused, but they serve different purposes in English:
Its
This is a possessive pronoun, meaning it shows ownership or association. It is used to indicate that something belongs to or is associated with ‘it’. No apostrophe is needed for this form.
Examples:
- The cat cleaned its paws.
- The company increased its revenue last quarter.
- The tree lost its leaves in autumn.
- The robot performed its task efficiently.
- The bird built its nest high in the tree.
It’s
This is a contraction of ‘it is’ or ‘it has’. An apostrophe is used to indicate the missing letter(s).
Examples:
- It’s raining again.
- It’s been an amazing journey.
- It’s a beautiful day outside.
- It’s not easy to learn a new language.
- It’s crucial to follow the guidelines.
Remember, if you can substitute the term with ‘it is’ or ‘it has’ and the sentence still makes sense, then ‘it’s’ is the correct form to use.