It / It's / Its (A1-A2)

- Reading time: 7 minutes

Its top speed is about 150 mm/s.  Do you know what it is?  It's not easy!

It  - Personal Pronoun

We use it when we want to talk about a noun.

In English, we use it for things, not people. 

English
Have you seen my folder?  I can't find it anywhere.
Have you seen my cup?  I can't find it anywhere.
Have you seen my headset?  I can't find it anywhere.

It's = It is

It's a red folder = It is a red folder.
It's a blue cup with yellow stripes = It is a blue cup with yellow stripes.
It's a Plantronics headset = It is a Plantronics headset.

Use it's for speaking and when you write emails to colleagues.

Use it is in formal writing, for example in a report.

Its - Possessive Adjective

This is our new 3D printer. Its top speed is about 150 mm/s.

In English, we don't say:

This is our new 3D printer. The top speed is about 150 mm/s.

Use its in English. It will make your English sound more natural.  Its top speed is about 150 mm/s.

Interested in learning more?

Here are some other examples of possessive adjectives in English. 

I'm a language trainer.   My name's Darren.
Do you work in Sales? Do you enjoy your job?
He's a HR manager. His name' Simon.
She's a doctor. Her name's Jennifer.
We produce packaging.  __________ customers are mainly located in Europe.
Peter and John are brothers. They work for the same company. They generally enjoy __________ job

Do you know what the missing words are? Tell me more!