It’s v Its

[FunIsland]

I’ve just read a tweet where someone said something along the lines of ‘I don’t believe AI is as much of a threat as people say it is because it keeps correcting its to it’s.

So I starting thinking, when would you use its? Googled it (obviously) and it says when it’s possessive. I’ve always used am apostrophe for both versions of its / it’s. Have I been doing this wrong for over half a century and why do we use a possessive apostrophe in some circumstances but not others?

I remember pupils of mine getting confused over this.

"its"is a possessive pronoun like hers, his, your and theirs. You do not need an apostrophe for those and "its" is the same.

For a possession to a noun, however, an apostrophe is needed. Eg The girl's mother. Sarah's mother

If the noun is plural ( more than one) then the apostrophe goes after the s. e.g the girls' mother

For those asking about Mother’s Vs Mothers’

Mother’s Day (in the USA) is correct because the women’s rights campaigner Ann Jarvis wanted it formalised as a day for each family to honour their mother. (It took nearly 20 years until President Woodrow Wilson signed it off.)

Mothering Sunday was the U.K. occasion, which was about returning to your mother church, but the concept drifted. And thank goodness for that - weak tea and toast in bed delivered by a beaming small child is one of the lovely bits of being a mum.

“May all your todays lead to joyful tomorrows.”

Both Today and Tomorrow are plural, no apostrophes.

”Today’s priorities are getting the proof to the client and confirming dates with the printer.”

The priorities belong to Today, so we use an apostrophe as a possessive.

”Today’s looking sunny and clear.”

That’s a contraction for Today Is, so we use an apostrophe to replace the missing letter.

Googled it (obviously) and it says when it’s possessive.

No, you only use an apostrophe with the word ‘it’s’ when it’s a contraction (it is).

If you are using its as a possessive pronoun, it’s it’s without an apostrophe. Like hers, his, theirs etc