its, it’s

Note: The differences between its and it’s are discussed in depth in the Common Grammatical Mistakes Section of Grammar.com. Click here for that discussion.

Misusing these two words ranks as one of the most frequent grammatical mistakes today. Smart writers know the huge differences between these two words.

The word its is the possessive form of the pronoun it.

The expression it’s is the contraction of “it is.”

Example: When the car first broke down, we wanted to replace its engine, but we soon learned that it’s almost impossible to find that model anymore.