The apostrophe contracts 'it is' or 'it has'; without it, the word shows possession.
"It's" (with apostrophe) is the contraction of "it is" or "it has". "It's raining" = it is raining. "It's been fun" = it has been fun. The apostrophe marks the missing letter.
It's raining again. We should stay inside.
It's been three weeks since I heard from her.
I think it's the best option we have.
"Its" (no apostrophe) is the neuter possessive pronoun: something belongs to an object, animal, or concept. "The cat licked its paw" = the cat licked its own paw.
The company revised its pricing strategy.
The dog wagged its tail when it saw us.
The report lost its impact after the delay.
Common mistake
"The company changed it's logo" (correct: its) and "Its going to be great" (correct: it's). Infallible test: substitute with "it is". If it makes sense = "it's" with apostrophe. If not = "its" without one.
Trick to remember it
Quick rule
Did you know?
Unlike nouns (the dog's tail, John's car), possessive pronouns in English NEVER take an apostrophe: his, her, its, our, their, your, whose. An apostrophe in these pronouns always signals a contraction (omitted letters), never possession. This asymmetry, nouns with apostrophe for possession, pronouns without, is one of the most counterintuitive spelling rules in English and explains why even educated native speakers make the its/it's error. The confusion is so widespread that some linguists have proposed simplifying the rule, but the written standard remains clear: possessive pronoun = no apostrophe.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The dog wagged _____ tail happily.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
_____ been three weeks since I last spoke to her.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
One indicates a place, the other shows possession.
'Your' shows that something belongs to you; 'you\'re' is a shortening of 'you are'.
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy