# The "its" vs. "it's" lesson continues (sadly) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 19, 2005, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907 "2005-06-19T12:42:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/1 "2005-06-19T12:42:04Z")
**it’s** = contraction of “it is,” as in “it is simple.” **its** = possessive, as in “its wing was broken.” You wouldn’t say, “It is wing was broken,” now would you? My work here is done. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/2 "2005-06-19T12:43:21Z")
Just use **its’** every time. ---
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/3 "2005-06-19T12:57:46Z")
> [@don't ask](#): > > Just use **its’** every time. AaAAHHHrrrrggg!!! ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/4 "2005-06-19T12:58:49Z")
I knew that I had fixed it. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/5 "2005-06-19T13:15:15Z")
Thank you for continuing the fight against apostrophe ignorance, **Large Marge**. With a name like that, maybe you can get people to listen. Really, though, I don’t understand the extra apostrophe people at all. The ones who write something like “zoo’s are a lot of fun”. Why would you put something _extra_ in there? Just slap an ‘s’ on the end of the word and be done with it!! ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/6 "2005-06-19T13:22:25Z")
Sometimes, I type away and forget the possessive usage. I do know the difference perfectly well, but the error creeps in. Life’s too short to go getting in a tizzy over other people’s spelling, though, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/7 "2005-06-19T13:55:31Z")
> [@Ice Wolf](#): > > Life’s too short to go getting in a tizzy over other people’s spelling, though, IMHO. Yes. Also, I’m stalking this poster. 😛 (not really) As often as this rant comes up, I nominate the subject to become a sticky. That way, we can just post in the provided thread instead of new ones getting started every 6 weeks. As an added plus, making it a sticky would keep it before our eyes all the time, thus (hopefully) limitting the number of times its egregious use is noticed. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/8 "2005-06-19T14:06:47Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > As often as this rant comes up, I nominate the subject to become a sticky. That way, we can just post in the provided thread instead of new ones getting started every 6 weeks. As an added plus, making it a sticky would keep it before our eyes all the time, thus (hopefully) limitting the number of times its egregious use is noticed. I agree. It’s an idea with much merit. ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/9 "2005-06-19T14:09:24Z")
Is there a reason this is in the Pit and more importantly, why make two threads? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/10 "2005-06-19T14:12:22Z")
> [@Diane](#): > > Is there a reason this is in the Pit and more importantly, why make two threads? C’mon…have you ever read English language usage threads here on the Dope? If anything belongs in the pit, its this. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/11 "2005-06-19T14:14:01Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > C’mon…have you ever read English language usage threads here on the Dope? If anything belongs in the pit, its this. Yep. I took it that **Large Marge** was fucked off about its/it’s confusion. Without sayin’ as much, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/12 "2005-06-19T14:16:27Z")
> [@Large Marge](#): > > **it’s** = contraction of “it is,” as in “it is simple.” > > **its** = possessive, as in “its wing was broken.” > > You wouldn’t say, “It is wing was broken,” now would you? > My work here is done. I learned it this way: **it_s’_** = it is **its** = possessive YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/13 "2005-06-19T14:34:33Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > If anything belongs in the pit, **its** this. Bolding mine. Is this a whoosh or do I honestly not understand the rule for it’s and its? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/14 "2005-06-19T14:35:44Z")
> [@Greathouse](#): > > Bolding mine. > > Is this a whoosh or do I honestly not understand the rule for it’s and its? Whoosh. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/15 "2005-06-19T14:47:32Z")
sweet. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/16 "2005-06-19T15:05:46Z")
> [@Ice Wolf](#): > > Life’s too short to go getting in a tizzy over other people’s spelling, though, IMHO. Good thing this is the Pit then. > [@](#): > > its’= it is Really? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/17 "2005-06-19T15:08:48Z")
> [@Large Marge](#): > > **it’s** = contraction of “it is,” as in “it is simple.” [nitpick] **it’s** is also a contraction of “it has,” e.g. “it’s been a lovely day.” [/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/18 "2005-06-19T16:00:06Z")
Right, but the bottom line is that “it’s” is not a possessive. It drives me nuts, too. I get all kinds of memos at work like that and it makes me want to crack some skulls. It’s as if nobody taught them the difference, and it makes then look like illiterates. Of course, in this case it’s much ado about nothing, since I’m perhaps the only person on the entire base that notices the difference. I once had a 15-minute argument with someone on why this was so, and I would probably have been better off talking to myself. It was in one ear and out the other. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/19 "2005-06-19T16:01:27Z")
And of course I include a typo in my post. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907/20 "2005-06-19T16:02:11Z")
It’s just a stupid convention. It could just as easily be the same for both usages. In fact, it should be the same, and that would get rid of the confusion. I can’t think of a situation where the context wouldn’t make it clear what the meaning was. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-vs-its-lesson-continues-sadly/308907.md?page=2)