Is it it’s its or who’s whose?

If you ever get the it’s/its or whose/who’s rule confused, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Some of the smartest people I know get this one mixed-up, and it’s all the fault of that pesky little apostrophe. The apostrophe is one of those omnipresent signs that we only really pay attention to when we need them - like stop signs or the Starbucks logo. But the apostrophe is actually quite a handy little gadget. It has two main uses that we're going to address today, and you’d better pay attention, because not only will it cure you of your its/it’s/whose/who’s confusion, it may clarify some other issues as well.

The first thing you need to know is the difference between a possessive and a contraction. A possessive shows ownership; nouns use an apostrophe to show possession:

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Elizabeth’s cookie
The dog’s bone

A contraction is a combination of two words that uses an apostrophe to mark the missing letters:

Don’t = do not
I’ve = I have
Let’s = let us
You’ll = you will

The second thing you need to know is that it and who are pronouns, and pronouns don’t take an apostrophe when they are possessive; they morph into new words (like whose and its). You already knew that, though, because you would never say, “That cookie is not she’s; it is me’s!” Instead, you replace those pronouns with their possessive counterparts, hers and mine.

So in the case of it’s and who’s, those little apostrophes are making contractions, not possessives. The apostrophe is there to let you know something is missing. It’s is really saying it is (or it has) and who’s is really saying who is (or who has). So instead of, “Whose been eating all the cookies?” You would ask, “Who’s (who has) been eating all the cookies?” And instead of, “Its been too long since I’ve had a cookie,” you would say, “It’s (it has) been too long since I've had a cookie.”

To check yourself as you are writing, try replacing the contraction with the omitted word, like this:

It’s time for me to have a cookie. Becomes, It is time for me to have a cookie.

If the sentence still makes sense, you have it right. And if you have any questions about pronouns, contractions, apostrophes or any other grammar grapples, you know where to find me.

Write on!