It’s and its – still lost?

Look! It's a trolley car showing its age.

Have these words confused you since grade school? You’re not the only one – these are two of the most incorrectly used words in English. Let’s sort them out and get them right every time.

It’s = it is or it has – that’s it, period. It’s (it is) tasty or it’s (it has) been a long time.

Its shows ownership; it is possessive. The city’s metro system includes its subway.

*Remember: Use it’s only as the contraction for it is or it has. (You could always use it is or it has instead of it’s; then simply use its for everything else.)

**Bonus tip: Think of its as being similar to hers or ours; they show ownership but also have no apostrophes!