its

¹

[ its ]

pronoun

1. the possessive form of it ¹ (used as an attributive adjective):

   The book has lost its jacket. I'm sorry about its being so late.

it's

²

[ its ]

1. contraction of it is:

   It's starting to rain.

2. contraction of it has: It's been a long time.

its

¹

/ ɪts /

determiner

1. 1. of, belonging to, or associated in some way with it

      its left rear wheel

   2. ( as pronoun )

      each town claims its is the best

it's

²

/ ɪts /

contraction of

1. it is or it has

Usage Note

While it is possible to use its as a predicate adjective ( The cat is angry because the bowl you're eating out of is its! ) or as a pronoun meaning “that or those belonging to it” ( Your notebook pages are torn. Borrow my notebook—its aren't ), such use is rare and in most circumstances strained. me.

Usage

One of the commonest mistakes made in written English is the confusion of its and it's . You can see examples of this every day in books, magazines, and newspapers: its good for us; a smart case with it's own mirror , and even Cheng, and its' subsidiaries . Its refers to something belonging to or relating to a thing that has already been mentioned: the baby threw its rattle out of the pram . It's is a shortened way of saying it is or it has (the apostrophe indicates that a letter has been omitted: it's a lovely day; it's been a great weekend .

Confusables Note

A very common mistake is to write its (the possessive form of it ) when it's (the short form of it is or it has ) is required: It's [it is] unclear what he meant. It's [it has] been wonderful seeing you again. But do not use it's for it has when has is the main verb: It has a strong flavor; use it sparingly cannot be written as It's a strong flavor… An equally common mistake is to use it's for the possessive, probably because ordinary possessives of nouns are formed with an apostrophe: the dog's coat; Mary's cell phone. But the possessive its is a pronoun, not a noun, and, like other possessive pronouns ( his, hers, yours, and theirs ), is written without that particular bit of punctuation: I have to fix my bike. Its front wheel came off.

Word History and Origins

Origin of its¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; earlier it's, equivalent to it ¹ + 's ²

Example Sentences

The ferry operator will now conduct several weeks of crew familiarisation trials before the ship carries its first passengers in January.

From BBC

The ship will also begin its annual maintenance cycle, with two weeks of inspections scheduled for early December, before carrying its first passengers from Troon to Brodick on Arran, probably in mid-January.

From BBC

"John dearly loved his home of Hull and representing its people in Parliament for 40 years was his greatest honour."

From BBC

The lively underground pub drew a young crowd with its western theme and eclectic music.

From BBC

Its heavily armed guards fend off threats, especially from Lesotho gangs reputed to have more lethal firepower, he said.

From BBC