Its and It's
The words its and it's are often confused. You may think that someone has just left out a punctuation mark, but that is not the case. These two little words mean very different things, and that apostrophe is a big deal! Let's look at the difference in meaning between its and it's so that you will be able to use them correctly in your words and writing.
Its is a possessive pronoun. You use this when you want to show possession, and the owner is neither a male or a female.
1. The toy helicopter is missing its propeller.
2. The dog was busy burying its bone in the dirt.
3. I think that the hurricane is losing its strength.
4. Look, that book has a skeleton on its cover.
It's is a contraction that is made up of two words-"it is". Remember that we make a contraction by putting two words together, omitting some letters, and using an apostrophe to show where the letters have been left out. You would use it's anywhere that you could also use "it is".
1. It's starting to snow, so we had better get home before the roads get bad.
2. Do you think it's okay if I borrow a pencil from Mr. Hart's desk?
3. This casserole might look suspicious, but it's actually very good!
4. Did you know that it's impolite to burp in public?
While you may think that little apostrophe in it's is not a big deal, it actually changes the meaning of the entire word. So, it's important to its importance!
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