its
[ its ]
/ ɪts /
pronoun
the possessive form of it1 (used as an attributive adjective): The book has lost its jacket. I'm sorry about its being so late.
words often confused with its
A very common mistake is to write
its (the possessive form of
it ) when
it's (the short form of
it is or
it has ) is required:
It's [it is] unclear what he meant. It's [it has] been wonderful seeing you again. But do not use
it's for
it has when
has is the main verb:
It has a strong flavor; use it sparingly cannot be written as
It's a strong flavor… An equally common mistake is to use
it's for the possessive, probably because ordinary possessives of nouns are formed with an apostrophe:
the dog's coat; Mary's cell phone. But the possessive
its is a pronoun, not a noun, and, like other possessive pronouns (
his, hers, yours, and
theirs ), is written without that particular bit of punctuation:
I have to fix my bike. Its front wheel came off.
usage note for its
While it is possible to use
its as a predicate adjective (
The cat is angry because the bowl you're eating out of is its! ) or as a pronoun meaning “that or those belonging to it” (
Your notebook pages are torn. Borrow my notebook—its aren't ), such use is rare and in most circumstances strained. See also
me.
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH its
it's itsWords nearby its
Definition for its (2 of 4)
it
1
[ it ]
/ ɪt /
pronoun, nominative it, possessive its or (Obsolete or Dialect) it, objective it; plural nominative they, possessive their or theirs, objective them.
noun
(in children's games) the player called upon to perform some task, as, in tag, the one who must catch the other players.
Slang.
- sex appeal.
- sexual intercourse.
Origin of it
1
before 900; Middle English, variant of Middle English, Old English
hit, neuter of
he1
usage note for it
See
me.
Definition for its (3 of 4)
it
2
[ it ]
/ ɪt /
noun British Informal.
sweet vermouth: gin and it.
Origin of it
2
1930–35;
It(alian vermouth)
Definition for its (4 of 4)
it's
[ its ]
/ ɪts /
contraction of it is: It's starting to rain.
contraction of it has: It's been a long time.
usage note for it's
See
contraction.
British Dictionary definitions for its (1 of 5)
its
/ (ɪts) /
determiner
- of, belonging to, or associated in some way with itits left rear wheel
- (as pronoun)each town claims its is the best
British Dictionary definitions for its (2 of 5)
IT
abbreviation for
information technology
British Dictionary definitions for its (3 of 5)
it's
/ (ɪts) /
contraction of
it is or it has
usage for it's
One of the commonest mistakes made in written English is the confusion of
its and
it's . You can see examples of this every day in books, magazines, and newspapers:
its good for us; a smart case with it's own mirror, and even
Cheng, and its' subsidiaries .
Its refers to something belonging to or relating to a thing that has already been mentioned:
the baby threw its rattle out of the pram .
It's is a shortened way of saying
it is or
it has (the apostrophe indicates that a letter has been omitted:
it's a lovely day; it's been a great weekend .
British Dictionary definitions for its (4 of 5)
it
1
/ (ɪt) /
pronoun (subjective or objective)
noun
Word Origin for it
Old English
hit
British Dictionary definitions for its (5 of 5)
it
2
the internet domain name for
Italy
Idioms and Phrases with its
it