One of the most common mistakes people make is mixing up its and it’s. These two words have similar pronunciations but different meanings. Its is a possessive pronoun and it’s is a contraction of it is or it has.
Remember, its should always have an apostrophe following it. But you would never add an apostrophe to personal pronouns like his or my.
What’s the Difference?
Even the most seasoned writers can mix up its and it’s. They sound similar and share a single letter, but that little apostrophe makes all the difference. Getting it wrong can be a huge embarrassment to your writing, and you’re not going to make the best impression on your audience if they see your mistakes.
Putting an apostrophe in its signals contraction (it is or it has), while its without the apostrophe shows possession of the noun that comes after it. It’s easy to confuse these homonyms because they have the same base word, but it’s important to remember that their meanings are different.
Grammarly is a premium tool that can help you avoid grammatical errors like its and it’s. However, it’s important to use the tool with caution and never depend solely on it to correct your writing. Remember that you still need to have strong knowledge of grammatical rules and the context of your writing.
It’s a Possessive Pronoun
The English language has many homonyms, or words that sound the same but are differentiated only by a punctuation mark. The words it and its are among the most confusing because they look identical, only separated by an apostrophe. But this tiny punctuation mark can make a huge difference in meaning.
Its is a possessive pronoun, like his or hers. It can stand alone or be paired with a noun. Unlike its, nouns that show possession don’t have an apostrophe.
Its is also used as a contraction for it is or it has. It’s important to remember that possessive adjectives and contractions never use an apostrophe. Apostrophes are reserved for indicating ownership and to show that something has been removed or lost.
It’s a Contraction
Grammarly is a great piece of software that helps you with your writing. Unlike most grammar checkers, Grammarly explains why it thinks something is wrong and provides examples to show you the correct way. It also highlights different variations of the same problem so you can understand the differences.
Using contractions in your writing makes it seem more casual and friendly. While avoiding them completely is fine, it’s important to know how and when to use them. Using the wrong contraction can cause your readers confusion.
Misusing the words its and it’s is one of the most common mistakes that people make. While these two words sound similar, the addition of an apostrophe changes their meanings entirely. Its with an apostrophe is a contraction of it is or it has; its without an apostrophe is a possessive pronoun like his, hers, or his. So remember to always put an apostrophe between it and its to avoid confusing your readers.
It’s a Determiner
There’s some debate over whether certain words are determiners. The shortest word in English, the article a, is a determiner, as are phrases like all of, a lot of, plenty of, and many.
The other major function of a determiner is to specify to whom something belongs. Pronouns like his, her, and their (not to be confused with their) fall into this category, as do adjectives like its and hers.
Using these determiners correctly can clarify your meaning and avoid confusion with other types of pronouns and contractions. But it’s easy to make a mistake when you combine these three-letter words with an apostrophe and the possessive pronoun its. Mistakes with these kinds of determiners can sabotage your credibility. Fortunately, Grammarly can help you spot these errors before your readers do. Each error will be highlighted on the left side of your screen, with an explanation on the right. This will allow you to fix your paper quickly and easily.