Its vs. It’s

Its vs. It’s

Its is known as a possessive pronoun because it’s used as a substitute for a more specific thing that possesses something else. It is different from it’s, which is a contraction meaning it is. Notice these correct uses of the above terms:

◊ The cat is wagging its tail.

It’s a shame that you can’t join us.

◊ It sounded like a wonderful story, but I could not follow its meaning.

◊ When you start receiving a higher volume of junk email, it’s probably time to consider a stronger filter.

Here are some other possessive pronouns:

my

his

her/hers

you/yours

our/ours

their/theirs

More Sentence-level Writing
Varsity Sentence Practice — Appositives
Quick tip about citing sources in MLA style
Who vs. Whom