ESL Grammar: Nouns Articles - Possessive Forms, 's vs Of, Its/It's Confusion

What It Is

Possessive forms in English can be confusing, especially for learners whose first language uses different grammatical structures. The topic involves using 's or of to show ownership, and not getting its and it's mixed up. For example, "The cat's toy" shows the cat owns the toy, but "The toy of the cat" is not common in English.

Key Rules

• Use 's to show ownership: John's book (John owns the book)
• Use of to show possession with plural nouns: The book of the teacher (the book belongs to the teacher)
• Use 's with singular nouns: The cat's toy (the cat owns the toy)
• Use of with plural nouns that are not possessive: A book of poetry (a book about poetry)
• Use its for the possessive form of it: The cat chases its tail (the cat owns its tail)
• Use it's for the contraction of it is: It's a beautiful day (it is a beautiful day)
• Use 's with proper nouns: John's house (John owns the house)
• Use of with abstract nouns: A song of love (a song about love)
• Use its with animals: The cat licks its paw (the cat owns its paw)
• Use it's with sentences that start with it: It's a great movie (it is a great movie)
• Use 's with singular nouns that end in s: The bus's wheels (the bus owns its wheels)
• Use of with plural nouns that end in s: A group of friends (a group of people)
• Use its with animals that have a specific name: The dog wags its tail (the dog owns its tail)
• Use it's with sentences that start with it is: It's a fact (it is a fact)
• Use 's with singular nouns that start with a vowel: The apple's skin (the apple owns its skin)
• Use of with plural nouns that start with a vowel: A group of ants (a group of ants)

Common ESL Errors

• Error: The cat of John.
• Why it happens: Interference from languages that use different possessive structures.
• Correction: The cat's toy (the cat owns the toy)
• Error: The book it's.
• Why it happens: Overgeneralization of the contraction it's.
• Correction: The book is (the book exists)
• Error: The dog its.
• Why it happens: Confusion between its and it's.
• Correction: The dog wags its tail (the dog owns its tail)

Practice Exercises

1. Fill in the blank: The (book) of the teacher is on the shelf. Answer: The book of the teacher Reason: Use of to show possession with plural nouns.
2. Fill in the blank: The (cat) chases its tail. Answer: The cat Reason: Use its for the possessive form of it.
3. Fill in the blank: It's a (beautiful) day. Answer: beautiful Reason: Use it's for the contraction of it is.

Last-Minute Revision

Its and it's are often confused, but its is possessive and it's is a contraction. Use 's with singular nouns, but of with plural nouns that are not possessive.
Of is used with abstract nouns, but 's is used with concrete nouns.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that start with a vowel, but of is used with plural nouns that start with a vowel.
Its is used with animals, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is.
's is used with singular nouns that end in s, but of is used with plural nouns that end in s.
Its is used with animals that have a specific name, but it's is used with sentences that start with it is. ?