Grammar Guide

Avoiding It's/Its Confusion

The confusion between it's (the contraction for it is) and its (the possessive form of it) probably arises out of two problems.

They are homonyms (words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings).

Its is possessive, and we expect possessives to have apostrophes.

As a rule of thumb, it's best never to use contractions in formal writing. If you adhere to this rule, you will never have to worry about the difference between the two; if you find yourself typing an apostrophe, you will know that it's a mistake. If, however, you choose to use contractions, you must simply remember that it's is always a contraction. It's never a possessive! It's really not that confusing, because each word has its own function.

Callaway North 205A | (404) 727-0886


	Avoiding It's/Its Confusion The confusion between it's (the contraction for it is) and its (the possessive form of it) probably arises out of two problems. They are homonyms (words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings). Its is possessive, and we expect possessives to have apostrophes. As a rule of thumb, it's best never to use contractions in formal writing. If you adhere to this rule, you will never have to worry about the difference between the two; if you find yourself typing an apostrophe, you will know that it's a mistake. If, however, you choose to use contractions, you must simply remember that it's is always a contraction. It's never a possessive! It's really not that confusing, because each word has its own function. Callaway North 205A \| (404) 727-0886