Its/it's

Posted by NeilB on January 22, 2001

In Reply to: Its/it's posted by ESC on January 12, 2001

: : For those who have not yet discovered it, the BBC have a 'Routes of English' site at www.bbc.co.uk with many other linked sites.

: That looks like a site that will be fun to explore. It needs an additional link -- to Phrase Finder.

: Reading the text on the homepage of the Routes of English site brings up a question I've been meaning to ask. In the U.S., ITS means the possessive of IT. "The dog chews its bone." IT'S is the contraction of "IT IS." "It's a hot day." Are these usages reversed in British English?

IT'S means both I am afraid! As in 'the dog, it's chewing it's bone!' That's English for you.