"Its" vs "it's" - what's the difference?
The rule:"It's raining." = It is raining."It's been a long day." = It has been a long day."The dog lost its bone." (the bone belonging to the dog)"The company and its values." (the values belonging to the company)Why it's confusing: English usually adds 's to show possession (James's car, the dog...
The rule
- "It's raining." = It is raining.
- "It's been a long day." = It has been a long day.
- "The dog lost its bone." (the bone belonging to the dog)
- "The company and its values." (the values belonging to the company)
Why it's confusing
English usually adds 's to show possession (James's car, the dog's bone). But "its" is the exception - no apostrophe for the possessive. The apostrophe in "it's" always means something has been removed (the "i" from "is" or "ha" from "has").
Quick test
Read the sentence replacing "its/it's" with "it is." If it makes sense β use "it's." If it doesn't β use "its."
The truth
This is one of the most common errors in English, even among native speakers.
What's the difference between "Its" and "it's"?
The rule:"It's raining." = It is raining."It's been a long day." = It has been a long day."The dog lost its bone." (the bone belonging to the dog)"The company and its values." (the values belonging to the company)Why it's confusing: English usually adds 's to show possession (James's car, the dog...
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