What does it's and its mean?

Answer 1

One of the most common grammar/spelling mistakes people in the US make is to confuse "it's" and "its." In my experience, the former gets put where the latter belongs in almost every case of incorrect usage, though the reverse happens once in a while. In general, people seem disposed to spend an apostrophe, wanted or not, at the drop of a hat.

Contrary to the possessive use for the apostrophe, the construct "it's" does NOT mean "belonging to it." Rather, it is a contraction representing the words "it is" or "it has."

Example: "It's mighty hot out there today." (It's = it is)

Example: "It's been a month since my last checkup." (It's = it has)

The possessive form is "its," meaning "belonging to it."

Example: "The egg resisted my attempts to remove its shell." (Its = belonging to the egg)

Example: "The flower burst forth, its petals glistening in the morning sunlight." (Its = belonging to the flower.)

If you're unsure which form to use, try writing the same sentence with the words "it is". If the sentence still makes sense, you can also use the contraction "it's". If not, "its" is correct.

Example: Which is correct, "The chameleon changed it'scolor." or "... changed its color."

Using "it is", the sentence becomes "The chameleon changed it is color." which is gibberish. Therefore, the correct spelling is "its color"