London, UK. London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, is a 21st-century city with history stretching back to Roman times. At its centre stand the imposing Houses of Parliament, the iconic ‘Big Ben’ clock tower and Westminster Abbey, site of British monarch coronations.

Understanding the Context

Across the Thames River, the London Eye observation wheel provides panoramic views of the South Bank cultural complex, and the entire city. The difference between its and it’s comes down to function: its shows possession, while it’s is a contraction of it is or it has. Its is the possessive form of it, used to show that something belongs to or is associated with something else. People often get confused when trying to decide whether to use its or it's.

Key Insights

It's is a contraction for "it is", and not a possessive form of it. Its — without the apostrophe — is the possessive form (like "his", "hers" or "theirs") of it, and can be loosely translated as "of it" or "belonging to it". The main difference between ‘its’ and ‘it’s’ is that ‘it’s’ is a contraction, while ‘its’ is a possessive determiner. ‘It’s’ is used to replace ‘it is’ or ‘it has,’ while ‘its’ indicates ownership. Its is an adjective that indicates possession.

Final Thoughts

The entire house is beautiful, but its backyard is what makes it stand out. Occasionally, slipping in an apostrophe where there’s not supposed to be one can happen to anyone. That’s usually the case when it comes to these two words: it’s and its. The difference between “its” and “it’s” can be confusing because they are said exactly the same way. However, in writing, it is important to make the distinction.