It's and Its

[Tammyx423]

Dear Teacher:

Hi, I just took the test "It's and Its", and I could not believe I only got 6 out of 10 correct. Shame on me. Would you please help me by explaining the differences?

Thank you,
Tammy

[zahari]

Hi Tammy!!
its
Its is a third person singular possessive determiner.
You use its to indicate that something belongs or relates to a thing, place, or animal that has just been mentioned or whose identity is known. You can use its to indicate that something belongs or relates to a child or baby.
examples
The dog lifted its head, listening.
I met one woman whose tiny baby had just died and whose other child was fighting for its life.
it's
1 It's is the usual spoken form of `it is'.
example
It's the best news I've heard in a long time.
2 It's is the usual spoken form of `it has', especially when `has' is an auxiliary verb.
examples
It's been (has been) such a long time since I played.
He's got (has got) the guts to do it.

(c) HarperCollins Publishers.

Hope I've helped!!!

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by Tammyx423

Dear Teacher:

Hi, I just took the test "It's and Its", and I could not believe I only got 6 out of 10 correct. Shame on me. Would you please help me by explaining the differences?

Thank you,
Tammy

Just an addition to the previous post: "it's" can also be a contraction of "it has".

It's been raining all day.