What is a sentence using it's?

Answer 1

The word it's is a contraction for "it is". Anywhere you could say "it is", you can also use it's, although contractions are usually considered to be less formal. For example,

• It is important to obey the law
• It's raining outside. (It is raining ...)

Be VERY careful not to make the common error of confusing it's with the soundalike word its. The latter is a possessive pronoun meaning "belonging to it". Many people think that because it's has an apostrophe it must be a possessive, too, but possessive pronouns form a group of those annoying exceptions to English spelling rules. It's the same quirk that causes the possessive forms of her and you to be hers and yours instead of "her's" and "your's".

A simple way to tell the uses apart is to remember that its and it is are interchangeable. If the sentence makes sense with "it is", use it's. If not, use its. For example, which is correct?

• The dog ate its food. or
• The dog ate it's food.

If you try to replace it's with it is, the sentence becomes "The dog ate it is food." which is meaningless. Therefore, its is correct.

Answer 2

The dog licked its paw.

The puppy dumped its water bowl.

The puppy dumped its water bowl.