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'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.'
- “Get Used to It”—How To Use It Correctly The construction of the example above involves the verb to be + used to in order to show that the speaker is in a state of being accustomed to something. A closely related construction is get + used to, which is an idiomatic phrase meaning “become accustomed to.”.
- Used to refers to something familiar or routine, as in 'I'm used to getting up early for work,' or to say that something repeatedly happened in the past like 'we used to go out more.' Use to typically occurs with did; 'did you use to work there?' Or 'it didn't use to be like that,' describing something in the past that doesn't happen anymore.
- Teams will ask if it's okay to use your mic. Be sure to allow it so others in the meeting will be able to hear you. Next, you'll be given two options for joining your meeting: Join as a guest or Sign in and join. Choose Join as a guest. Type your name and tap Join meeting.
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 tends to happen is someone might forget to add the apostrophe to 'it's.' You'll see things like, 'Its been a magical few weeks' or 'That's not what its like.' Let's take a closer look at 'its' and 'it's,' including the correct usage and examples of both words.
How To Use It
Possessive or Contraction
As we know, 'its' shows possession for the pronoun 'it' while 'it's' is the contraction for 'it is.' One thing you should never use is its' with the apostrophe after the final S. That's because the missing letter isn't after the 's.' The missing 'i' is between 't' and 's' for 'it is.' The same is true for the miss 'ha' between 't' and 's' for 'it has.' Here's more on using contractions correctly.
WIth that in mind, let's dive deeper into 'its' vs. 'it's.'
Its as a Possessive
'Its' is the possessive version of the pronoun '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.
How To Use It Tape For Knee Support
Some sentence examples of 'its' used as a possessive include:
- This cheese is past its expiration date.
- Its front door will open when you're nearby.
- This book is better than its cover would suggest.
- In its most basic form, this plan will work.
- This frog is too small for its aquarium.
- Its greatest attribute is its flexibility.
- What is its country of origin?
- Its scent fades, but the memories will last forever.
- The plant is in its pot.
- Its tires spun out of control on the ice.
- I'll take that puppy and all its siblings.
- Its demise contributed to the town squabble.
- The truck parked itself neatly in its bay.
- If its engine restarts, we'll go to the party.
- The bird is in its house.
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.'
It's as a Contraction
'It's,' on the other hand, is used as a contraction for 'it is' or 'it has.' Remember, the apostrophe goes before the 's,' where the 'i' (or 'ha' in the case of 'it has') is missing. Take a look at some examples of 'it's' in a sentence.
- We've got to be downtown at four and it's still not here.
- It's always raining.
- Some days I think it's a wonderful world.
- She said it's only a fifteen minute drive.
- I don't know if it's his or not.
- It's nice inside the house.
- I know it's hard, but you'll be okay.
- It's a nice car.
- In our house, it's okay to sit by the fire and read a book all night.
- It's fun to go to the fair.
- Can't you tell it's a zinnia, not a gerber daisy?
- It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
- That's exactly how it's going to be.
- It's been an unforgettable day.
- Of course, it's our dog!
Feel free to apply the same test here. Take apart it's and see if the sentence needs an 'it is.' In the last example, 'Of course, it is our dog,' would work just fine. But, for brevity's sake, the contraction works well too.
It's Its Time to Shine
Fear not. 'It's' vs. 'its' is something that starts to come naturally the more you use it. Ready to mix things up a little? Now that you know when to use an apostrophe in 'it's,' how about a few examples of when it's NOT good to use an apostrophe? Dates and plural words are two of the largest areas. Until then, enjoy knowing you've mastered the 'its' debate!
A reader asks,
Which is correct –
He USED to go to the game on Friday.
He USE to go to the game on Friday.
When the statement is positive, as in the reader’s example, the expression is used to.
In negative statements, the expression is use to. For example, “He didn’t use to go to the game on Friday.”
The expressions are used to speak about things that were habitually done in the past. Both used and use are followed by an infinitive. For example:
We used to play baseball every Saturday.
I used to live in Cleveland.
There used to be a house on that corner.
The d is dropped when the sentence is negative:
I didn’t use to worry about money.
I didn’t use to celebrate Christmas.
There didn’t use to be a gas station on that corner.
Here are some current examples from the Web:
Chris Pratt Used To Live In A Scooby Doo Van
Pope Francis reveals he used to work as a bar bouncer
He [Jon Stewart] didn’t use to care and his show was funnier.
Actors didn’t use to be celebrities.
Women didn’t use to talk politics in this country.
I used to tell people we’d sell everything but the kitchen sink.
I used to love this view
Positive sentence: used to.
Negative sentence with didn’t: use to.
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