It's and its
On the English ACT, you’ll need to know the rules for “it’s” and “its.” While this question type usually doesn’t show up more than twice on each test, you will encounter this question type (at least once) on every ACT English test.
Luckily for you, the rules for this question type are pretty straightforward. Additionally, they are very easy to remember.
To use “it’s” and “its” correctly, let’s briefly review an apostrophe rule.
Normally, to make a noun possessive (or make it the owner of something) you add an apostrophe and an s ('s).
Example
If the student has a desk, it is “the student’s desk.”
If the possessive noun is plural (in this case, it would be “students” instead of “student”), the apostrophe goes after the “s.” Thus, they are the “students’ desks.”
“It’s” and “its”—the exception to the rule
The word “its” is an exception to the normal apostrophe rules. The word it’s already means something. “It’s” already means “it is” and has nothing at all to do with possession. Therefore, to make “it’s” possessive, you just leave off the apostrophe.
How you’ll encounter “it’s” and “its” on the ACT
Here’s a breakdown of the three ways you’ll see this on the ACT. If you remember these rules, you’ll answer every “it’s/its” question correctly on test day.
- It’s = It is
- Its = possessive
- Its’ = does not exist in the English language
Example
Here’s how we would use each of these in a sentence.
- It’s = It’s cold outside.
- Its = The bear is protective of its den.
- Its’ = never pick this choice unless… (see below)
Regarding its’
As we’ve said previously, the word its’ doesn’t exist in the English language. However, you’ll often see it as an option on the ACT. In most cases (and we mean 99.999999% of the time), you’ll never pick its’ as an option (because, again, it doesn’t exist).
However, there is one scenario where you might need to pick its’, even though it’s grammatically incorrect.
Here’s how this question type might look on test day:
Example
It’s tough to graduate high school with a 4.0 grade point average.
Which of the following alternatives to the underlined portion would NOT be acceptable?
A. NO CHANGE
B. It’s really tough
C. It’s difficult
D. Its’ challenging
Notice how the question doesn’t want us to pick a grammatically correct answer. We are supposed to pick the wrong answer. Grammatically, three of the answers are right. One isn’t. That’s the one we want to pick.
In this question, option D is correct. We know option D is right because Its’ can never be grammatically correct, so it has to be the answer.
This is the only scenario where you’ll actually pick its’ as the answer.
“It’s/its” exercise
Use the rules below and see if you can pick the correct form of “it’s/its.”
Question 1:
Its really cold outside.
A. NO CHANGE
B. It’s
C. Its’
Do you know the answer?
Answer: B. It’s is the correct answer because it’s is short for it is, which is the correct form we need for this sentence.
Question 2:
It’s’ tail almost got shut in the door.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Its’ tail
C. Its tail
Do you know the answer?
Answer: C. In this question, Its (the possessive form) is actually the correct answer because we need the tail to belong to something.
“It’s” vs. “its” shortcut
Here’s a shortcut you can use to always answer these questions correctly. If the ACT asks about “It’s/Its,” just substitute it with the words “it is.” If the sentence makes sense, the answer is “It’s,” if it doesn’t, the answer is “its.” It works every time. Give it a try and see if you can answer every question correctly.
Question 1:
The world continues to spin on it’s/its axis.
Is the answer it’s or its?
Answer: Its is the correct answer. If we say “The world continues to spin on it is axis,” we can tell just from reading that aloud that it is doesn’t fit there. So, the answer must be its.
Question 2:
That car will hold it’s/its value over time more than others.
Is the answer it’s or its?
Answer: Its is the correct answer. If we say “That car will hold it is value,” we can tell just from reading that aloud that it is doesn’t fit there. So, the answer must be its.
Question 3:
It’s/Its really a shame that you can’t go tonight.
Is the answer it’s or its?
Answer: It’s is the correct answer. If we say “It is really a shame that you can’t go tonight.” we can tell just from reading that aloud that it is belongs in that sentence. So, the answer must be it’s.
Question 4:
Even though it’s/its eyes don’t work, the dog seems to manage fine.
Is the answer it’s or its?
Answer: Its is the correct answer. If we say “It is eyes don’t work,” we can tell just from reading that aloud that it is doesn’t fit there. So, the answer must be its.
Question 5:
Even though it’s/its blind, the dog seems to manage fine.
Is the answer it’s or its?
Answer: It’s is the correct answer. If we say “Even though “it is” blind…” we can tell just from reading aloud that it is belongs in that sentence. So, the answer must be it’s.
You now know the rules for it’s and its. If you remember these rules when you take the ACT English test, you’ll answer every single question correctly.