It's vs Its and Common Apostrophe Errors on the Digital SAT

Quick Answer: The word 'it's' is always a contraction for 'it is' or 'it has', while 'its' is the possessive form showing ownership. To avoid common apostrophe errors on the SAT, simply replace the word with 'it is' to see if the sentence still makes sense.

graph LR
    A[Apostrophe Question] --> B[Method 1: The Expansion Test]
    A --> C[Method 2: The Possession Check]
    B --> D[Correct Answer]
    C --> D

What Is It's vs Its and Common Apostrophe Errors?

Apostrophe usage is a core component of the Standard English Conventions domain on the Digital SAT. The most frequently tested apostrophe rule involves distinguishing between contractions (words formed by combining two words and replacing omitted letters with an apostrophe) and possessive pronouns (words that show ownership). The classic example is the difference between it's and its.

According to the official College Board specifications, students must be able to recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in noun and pronoun usage, as well as correctly punctuate possessives. Just as you need to master comma rules to avoid run-on sentences, or know when to use semicolons to link independent clauses, you must memorize the strict rules governing apostrophes. They are never used merely to make a word plural.

Practicing these specific grammar rules is one of the fastest ways to improve your Reading & Writing score. Resources like Khan Academy SAT and targeted drill sets are excellent for solidifying these concepts. Much like understanding when to use colons, mastering apostrophes comes down to recognizing the structural role the word plays in the sentence.

Step-by-Step Method

1. Step 1 — Identify the word being tested. Is it a noun or a pronoun? Does it end in an "s"?
2. Step 2 — If the word has an apostrophe, perform the "Expansion Test." Read the sentence aloud (in your head), expanding the contraction (e.g., read "it's" as "it is" or "they're" as "they are").
3. Step 3 — If the expanded version makes logical sense in the sentence, the contraction is correct. If it sounds nonsensical, you likely need a possessive pronoun or a simple plural.
4. Step 4 — Check for ownership. If the word owns the noun immediately following it (e.g., "the dog's bone"), it requires a possessive form. Remember that possessive pronouns (its, whose, theirs) do not use apostrophes.
5. Step 5 — Ensure you aren't using an apostrophe just to make a word plural. "The cats are sleeping" requires no apostrophe.

Key Strategy

The most reliable strategy for it's vs its questions is the Expansion Test. Whenever you see it's as an answer choice, mentally cross it out and write it is.

For example, if the sentence is: "The company updated ___ policy." Try plugging in it is: "The company updated it is policy." This clearly makes no sense, which means you cannot use the contraction it's. You must use the possessive its.

Worked Example

Question: The newly formed committee announced ___ decision after hours of debate, noting that ___ going to impact the entire community.

A) it's / its B) its / it's C) its / its' D) it's / it's

Solution:

Let's evaluate the blanks one by one using our steps.

For the first blank: "The newly formed committee announced ___ decision..." Does the committee own the decision? Yes. Let's try the Expansion Test with it's: "The newly formed committee announced it is decision." That makes no sense. Therefore, we need the possessive pronoun its. This eliminates options A and D.

For the second blank: "...noting that ___ going to impact the entire community." Let's try the Expansion Test: "...noting that it is going to impact the entire community." This makes perfect grammatical sense. Therefore, we need the contraction it's.

Looking at our remaining options (B and C), option B correctly pairs its and it's. Furthermore, its' (found in option C) is never a real word in English.

The correct answer is B.

Common Traps

1. The Plural Apostrophe Trap — Our data shows that 42% of comma errors involve adding commas where none are needed (over-punctuation). Students make the exact same mistake with apostrophes, frequently adding them to simple plural nouns (e.g., writing "the tree's lost their leaves" instead of "the trees"). Only use an apostrophe for possession or contractions.

2. The "Its'" Trap — Many students assume "its'" is the plural possessive of "it." Based on Lumist student data, Standard English Conventions questions have a low 19% overall error rate because they are strictly rule-based, but "its'" remains a highly chosen distractor on first attempts. Remember: its' is never correct on the SAT.

FAQ

What is the difference between it's and its?

'It's' is a contraction meaning 'it is' or 'it has'. 'Its' is a possessive pronoun indicating that something belongs to 'it'.

Do you ever use its' on the SAT?

No, 'its'' with an apostrophe at the end is never a grammatically correct word in standard English. If you see it as an answer choice on the SAT, you can immediately eliminate it.

How do I know when to use an apostrophe for plural nouns?

Standard plural nouns do not take apostrophes. Apostrophes are only added to nouns to show possession or to form contractions.

How many It's vs Its and Common Apostrophe Errors questions are on the SAT?

Standard English Conventions makes up approximately 26% of the SAT Reading & Writing section. On Lumist.ai, we have 25 practice questions specifically focused on apostrophe usage and the its/it's distinction.