Today’s grammar tip was requested/recommended by Ruchira Roy on the ArticlesBase fan page on Facebook.
Last week I briefly touched on contractions as they related to the “you’re” versus “your” saga. The same tip applies here.
If you can replace the apostrophe with an “i” then the correct use is “it’s.” It’s is a contraction - the apostrophe represents the “i” that was dropped.
“It’s all good” = It is all good = It’s is the correct form.
The apostrophe can also represent the word “has.”
It’s been a long time = It has been a long time = it’s is the correct form.
Its, on the other hand, is a possessive pronoun that means “belonging to” of “of it.” It shows that something belongs to “it” ot “it” has a special quality. To test this version of the word, try replacing the word “its” with “her.” If the sentence still makes sense, then this is the correct spelling.
Its color is dark purple = her color is dark purple = its is the correct form.
The word its’ doesn’t actually exist. Don’t ever use it. Ever.
It’s ok, i will never use its’ again.
Thanks for this infomation.
Thank you for the tip. I find it very rare that I ever use it’s usually I attempt to stay away from contractions.
Having grown up in a journalism family, going to journalism school and spending a lifetime in journalism. it truly irks me to see the misuse of “its”. And the surprising number of times it is done. And the jaw-dropping discovery of what kinds of organizations and what people make this mistake. All they have to remember is to turn it’s into it is and to see if it makes sense; when it doesn’t they know it’s the wrong usage. But no. And what about principal and principle? And even there and their? It boggles the mind.
Excellent tip to check It’s with It has and Its with Her.
That was very nice of you giving that tip. It’s a very common writing mistake even among English-speaking people. You see it in blogs, emails, even articles.