its
/ɪts
/possessive determiner
1Belonging to or associated with a thing previously mentioned or easily identified: turn the camera on its side he chose the area for its atmosphere...
- She drove across the grass area, hit the road sign and the car turned over on to its side.
- You could serve it as a side dish, on its own with a salad, or as part of buffet spread.
- The bow is separated from the main body of the wreck and rests on its starboard side.
1.1Belonging to or associated with a child or animal of unspecified sex: a baby in its mother’s womb...
- The ideal is for a lamb to have milk from its mother as soon as possible after birth.
- Owner Jane Organ said it was tragic for the pup to be taken from its mother at such a young age.
- She may be its mother but that does not give her the right to decide whether or not it lives or dies.
Usage
A common error in writing is to confuse the possessive its (as in turn the camera on its side) with the contraction it’s (short for either it is or it has, as in it’s my fault; it’s been a hot day). The confusion is at least partly understandable since other possessive forms (singular nouns) do take an apostrophe + -s, as in the girl’s bike; the President’s smile.