Mr.Maru: I bought you the new movie Governator 4. I know it's your favorite.

Sparky: Its my favorite movie. Let's watch it this weekend.

Mr.Maru: Why do you like it?

Sparky: I like it's special effects and action scenes. I really like the part where Joe fights Arny.

Mr.Maru: Really? I didn't like it. Arny is too old.

Sparky: Arny is great. He can act really well.

Mr.Maru: Um, right. OK Sparky, let's go watch the movie.

Sparky: Sounds like a plan.

Do you know when to use it's vs its? The grammar of its and it's can be difficult to remember. The rule is really simple. Let's talk about some examples:

The usage of “it's”

The contraction (e.g. can't, won't, he's) of “it” and “is” is “it's”. “It's” can also be the contraction of “it” and “has”. For example,

It's a beautiful day. (It is a beautiful day.)

I don't think it's going to rain today. (I don't think it is going to rain today.)

I love Governator 4; it's such a great movie. (It is such a great movie.)

It's been 9 years since I've played the piano. (It has been 9 years since I've played the piano.)

The computer is too old. It's been crashing all day. (It has been crashing all day.)

Be careful! This 'has' is for perfect tenses only. For example,

O It's been a long time since I saw you.

O It's been running for a long time.

X This is a nice house; it's two bedrooms and a bathroom. (Correct: It has two bedrooms and a bathroom.)

X What's the problem with my cell phone.  I turned it on, but it is blank. It's to be the battery.  (Correct: It has to be the battery.)

The usage of “its”

The possessive form (e.g. hers, his, Joe's) of “it” is “its”. This is really strange. Most possessive forms have “'s” on them (e.g. John's, Jane's, children's …) So, remember “its” is irregular. It is really different from the other forms. Let's look at some examples:

The lion couldn't move. Its paw was caught in a trap.

Governator 4 was amazing. Its story was really exciting.

I have to fix my car. Its trunk won't open.

“It's” vs. “its” usage

If you can replace the word with “it is” or “it has” then use “it's”. If you can't, then use “its”. There are no exceptions. This is always true.

Are you ready for a quiz?

“It's” vs. “its” quiz

1) ______ been raining all day.

A) It's

B) It is

C) Its

2) Where is _____ heading?

A) its

B) it

C) it's

3) I don't like this phone. _____ buttons are too small.

A) It has

B) Its

C) It's

1) A) – It has been raining all day.

2) B) – Where is it heading? → The answer is: It's heading east. “to head” is a verb.

3) B) – The buttons belong to the phone so we use the possesive.

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