Superman to the Rescue: The It’s and Its Problem:

It’s and its confusion consistently hits the top of the most common error charts. But wait, Superman can help you remember when to use the contraction it’s.

It’s is a contraction of a pronoun and a verb:    it’s  =  it is

Using contractions in our speaking and writing makes our language flow more naturally. Without contractions, our language sounds more formal, rigid, stilted, and unnatural. If you want to sound conversational in your writing, use contractions but remember to use the apostrophe correctly.

Here’s how Superman sees it:

Stop and think about Superman when you use the contraction it’s. Superman loves apostrophes.

Special thanks to Mandy Heck for her artwork.

Its and It’s: Church Steeples and Dog Collars

Of all the possessive pronouns, the simple its causes the most problems. It is most commonly confused with the contraction it’s (it is).

its = possessive form of the pronoun it
it’s = contraction of it is

Use these clues for using the possessive pronoun (its) correctly:

1. Possessive pronouns work as adjectives to limit nouns.
   my          our     your      his        hers       its        their
2. Possessive pronouns never use apostrophes to show possession or ownership
   my         our     your       his        hers       its        their
3. A noun follows a possessive pronoun:
   its sign       its steeple       its collar
4. An adjective may follow the possessive pronoun:
   its yellow sign    its big sign   its tall sign  its white steeple
5. The possessive pronoun its is usually not found at the beginning of a sentence.

The poodle lost its pink diamond-studded collar.

The maple tree lost its red and yellow leaves.

The gray kitten lapped up its cold milk.

The cow chewed its cud.

See also: Play Monopoly with its and it’s