Its vs It’s

Knowing how to use its vs it’s isn’t very hard if you remember the following. 

It’s

It's is a contraction for "it is" or "it has."  In other words, when someone writes it’s, they are abbreviating either “it is” or “it has.”

It’s wonderful weather today.

Something important to note is that if you are writing a formal paper or essay, you should avoid contractions.  Spell out either it is, or it has. 

Its

Its is the possessive form of "it."  This can be a little confusing, because in most cases, an apostrophe s (’s) stands for a possessive.  This is not the case with its.

That was a great movie; what did you think of its ending?

I was able to watch the boat on its launch.

The Bottom Line

The confusing part of it’s and its is that English has taught us that if something is possessive, you add an apostrophe s.  For example, “This is Joan’s car.” 

If you can replace the word with "it is" or "it has," use it's. If those doesn’t work, use its. 

If you have any questions about its vs it’s or any other grammar question, go to Grammar Perfection or email help@grammarperfection.com.