when to use its its and its

Using It's and Its Correctly in Sentences 1 Use "its" to indicate possession. When the pronoun is "it," the possessive form is "its." Like the possessive determiners "hers" and "his," "its" doesn't need an apostrophe to indicate possession.

Full Answer

When to use its versus theirs?

“Its” is a singular third-person pronoun that we most often use to assign ownership to objects instead of people. “Their” is a plural third-person pronoun we use to assign ownership to one or more humans, specifically in cases where you might not know much about them.

How to use 'its' or 'it's'?

Correct answers:

• The word is a contraction in this sentence, so the correct form is it’s.
• The phrase "it is" doesn’t make sense in this sentence, which needs a possessive form: its.
• The sentence begins with a contraction of "it has" (it’s) and then needs a possessive form (its).

When to US it's or its?

It's is a contraction and should be used where a sentence would normally read "it is." The apostrophe indicates that part of a word has been removed. Its with no apostrophe, on the other hand, is the possessive word, like "his" and "her," for nouns without gender.

What is the correct use of its?

Use "its" to indicate possession. When the pronoun is "it," the possessive form is "its." Like the possessive determiners "hers" and "his," "its" doesn't need an apostrophe to indicate possession. Write "its" to describe something that belongs to, or is a part of, an animal, plant or inanimate object.

What does "its" mean in English?

How to use its. Its is the possessive form of it, used to indicate possession, ownership, belonging, etc. English generally uses apostrophes to indicate possession, for example, Mary’s bike (the bike belonging to Mary) and the lions’ roars (the roars of the lions).

What do it’s and its mean?

First things first, it is a third-person singular neuter pronoun, used (among other ways) to stand in for inanimate things or ideas.

How to use "it's" in a sentence?

Now, here’s the big takeaway: 1 Its is a possessive form of the pronoun it, meaning belonging to it. 2 It’s is a contraction of the words it is or it has. (Interestingly, we don’t really contract it was into it’s .)

What is a contraction of "it's"?

It’s is a contraction of the words it is or it has. (Interestingly, we don’t really contract it was into it’s .)

When did the use of "its" take off?

The use of its for the possessive form of it takes off in the 1500s. After, we did commonly write it’s to show it possession for it, but that became nonstandard in the 1800s, probably due to the influence of pronouns like yours, hers, etc. Example time:

Do you use an apostrophe when showing possession?

The reason we don’t use an apostrophe to show a possessive is long and complicated, but here are few fun facts:

Is it wrong to put an apostrophe after the s?

Another rule to keep in mind: its’, with an apostrophe after the s, is always wrong. The apostrophe never follows the s. It’s nice to be able to say “never” for an English grammar rule. It’s not often we can do that. (See what we did there?)

What does "its" mean in a sentence?

Use "its" to indicate possession. When the pronoun is "it," the possessive form is "its." Like the possessive determiners "hers" and "his," "its" doesn't need an apostrophe to indicate possession. Write "its" to describe something that belongs to, or is a part of, an animal, plant or inanimate object. Some example sentences may include:

How to replace "its" in a sentence?

Use replacement to double check. If you're reading a sentence and you're not sure if "its" or "it's" is appropriate, try replacing the word with "it is" or " it has." If you can replace the "it's" or "its" with "it is" or "it has," then you should use an apostrophe ("it's").

When to use an apostrophe in Google?

Google needs to update its privacy policy. Include an apostrophe when "it's" means "it is" or "it has. " Only use the apostrophe if "it's" is a contraction of "it is" or "it has.". Some sample sentences include:

Can "it has" replace "it"?

Ask yourself if "it is" or "it has" could replace the "it's. " To determine if an apostrophe should be used, ask yourself if the "it's" is indeed a short form of "it is" or "it has." If you're not sure, read the sentence aloud.

Do you put an apostrophe on "it"?

You’d only add an apostrophe when “it’s” means “it is” or “it has.”. For example, “It’s a nice day,” or “It’s been a nice day.”. If you’re reading a sentence and aren’t sure if “its” or “it’s” is appropriate, try replacing the word with “it is” or “it has.”.

Is it hard to tell the difference between shades of green?

It is hard to tell the difference between those shades of green. The phrase "it is" fits perfectly into the sentence, so you don't have to ask yourself any further questions. The correct answer is: It's hard to tell the difference between those shades of green.

Is "the tire had lost its air" possessive?

Therefore, the sentence should be: "The tire had lost its air." Because the air belonged to the tire, the "its" is possessive.

What does "it" mean in a sentence?

The word “it” is a third-person pronoun describing an inanimate object, an entity, or a conceptual idea.

Is "its" a homonym?

The words “it's” and “its” are homonyms differentiated only by a simple apostrophe, but they have different uses in English grammar.

Is there such a thing as "its"?

There is no such word as “its'.” If you want to describe something belonging to more than one inanimate object, use the word “their.” For example, "We need to cover the lounge chairs to prevent their cushions from fading."

Is "it" a conjunction?

The words “it's” and “its” are homonyms differentiated only by a simple apostrophe, but they have different uses in English grammar. “It's ” is a conjunction: The word “it's ” combines the phrase "it is" into a single word through the use of an apostrophe. “It's” is simply the phrase "it is" in abbreviated form. ...

What does "it's" mean in a sentence?

"Its" and "it's" are among the most commonly confused words. " Its " refers to the possessive form of the pronoun "it." For example, when referring to a pair of shoes, you might say, "That's not its box."

How to double check yourself?

One way to double check yourself is to re-read the sentence, saying "it is" wherever you've placed "its." For example, does it make sense to say, "The bird is in "it is" house"? Nope. That's how you'll know to remove the apostrophe from an unneeded "it's."

Is "its" a possessive?

Its as a Possessive. "Its" is the possessive version of the prono un "it.". Many people find this confusing because possessives normally have an apostrophe (for example Joe's cookies or everyone's lunch). "Its," however, doesn't have an apostrophe when it is used as a possessive. Some sentence examples of "its" used as a possessive include:

Is "it's" a contraction?

Meanwhile, " it's " is the contraction for the words "it is" or "it has." For example, " It's (it is) going to be a fabulous night" or " It's (it has) been a fabulous night."

What does "you're" mean?

You’re is a con­trac­tion of the words “you” and “are,” e.g., “You’re up for an award. Someone said you’re leaving.”

Do all possessives use apostrophes?

Unfortunately, not all pos­ses­sives use apos­tro­phes. This includes the per­sonal pro­nouns “its,” “theirs,” and “yours.”. Since they are the most fre­quently mis­un­der­stood, let’s tackle them.