Its vs. It’s
“Its” is the possessive determiner meaning “belonging to it.” “It’s” is a contraction of “it is” or “it has.” The possessive form does not take an apostrophe, even though many possessive nouns do.
Use “it’s” only when you can expand it to “it is” or “it has.” Use “its” before a noun to show possession: “the company changed its policy.” If the expansion sounds wrong, the apostrophe is probably wrong.
Key details
Choose the right form
| What you mean | Choose | Expansion/test | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| belonging to it | its | cannot expand to “it is/has” | The dog wagged its tail. |
| it is | it’s | expand directly to “it is” | It’s cold today. |
| it has | it’s | expand directly to “it has” | It’s been a long day. |
| standalone possession | rephrase | “its” is a determiner, not normally a standalone possessive pronoun | Repeat the noun or rewrite the sentence. |
Apostrophes do not mark the possessive form “its”; here the apostrophe marks omitted letters in a contraction.
Quick tests
it-is/it-has expansion
Can the form be expanded to “it is” or “it has”?
If yes: Use “it’s.”
If no: If you mean possession before a noun, use “its.”
Usage notes
Further guidance
Apostrophe Trap
The apostrophe in “it’s” marks contraction, not possession. This differs from possessive noun patterns such as “the company’s policy.”
Core difference
Cambridge identifies “it’s” as the contracted form of “it is” or “it has,” while “its” is a possessive determiner.
Possessive Pattern
“Its” normally modifies a following noun: its name, its policy, its tail. Cambridge notes that it is not used as a standalone possessive pronoun in the same way as “mine.”
Replacement Test
Replace “it’s” with “it is” or “it has.” If neither expansion fits, use “its” when you mean possession.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- It’s or its? — Cambridge Grammar (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Possessive its versus contraction it’s
Related across sections
These links are manually reviewed for a genuine cross-section connection.
Apostrophes and Possessives in Title Case
Apostrophes can mark possession, contractions, or omitted initial letters, and those uses should not be confused with quotation marks. Chicago also has specific title-case examples for initial-apostrophe contractions and for the compound form “O’Clock.”