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Its vs It's: What's the Difference?

A1 Similar Pronunciation

What's the Difference?

‘Its’ indicates possession, while ‘it's’ means ‘it is’ or ‘it has’.

Memory Tip: its = belongs to it, it's = it is/has

its /ɪts/

determiner
"Its" shows that something belongs to an animal or thing. For example, "The dog has its toy."
Example:
The dog wags its tail.
Common patterns:
its + noun This is its color
its →

it's

Example:
It's time for dinner.

Common Mistakes

The dog wagged it's tail happily.
The dog wagged its tail happily.
'Its' is correct here because it shows that the tail belongs to the dog.
It's been a long day since the storm hit.
Its been a long day since the storm hit.
'It's' is correct here because it is a contraction for 'it has'.

Quick Practice

0/2 correct
1. The dog wags ____ tail.
2. ____ time for dinner.

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