It’s and its - English contractions.
Learners of English have the problem of English contractions that use apostrophes.
Los estudiantes de inglés tienen el problema de las contracciones inglesas que usan apóstrofes.
English learners of Spanish have the opposite problem.
Los estudiantes de inglés de español tienen el problema opuesto.
Examples
Have you any idea of its value? / ¿Tienes alguna idea de su valor?
The dog had hurt its paw. / El perro se había hecho daño en la pata.
‘Where’s your car?’ ‘It’s in the garage.’ / ¿Dónde está tu coche? — Está en el garaje.
The idea is to create sentences using contractions to practice them in Spanish and to help learners of English.
Just imagine how difficult it is for a Spanish speaker to hear this.
“He couldn’t’ve done that because he is not strong enough.
No pudo haberlo hecho porque no es lo suficientemente fuerte.
Add your examples in English and Spanish.
17 Answers
ITS and IT'S
The way to remember the correct usage is that the word "its" is a possessive like 'his' or 'hers' and like them doesn't have an apostrophe. On the other hand, "it's" is a contraction of "it is". The problem is that other possessives do use an apostrophe, as in "the dog's ball" or "Australia's future".
El modo para recordar el uso correcto es que la palabra "its" es una posesiva como "his" o "hers" y como esas no tiene apóstrofo. Por otra parte, "it's" es una contracción de "it is". El problema es que otras posesivas usan un apóstrofo, por ejemplo " the dog's ball" o "Australia's future".
I'd like to bring to y'all's attention that "ain't" aín't no word, so if youse a thinkin' ya gonna use it, we's here to tell ya'll that's a no go.
Me gustaría hacer que ustedes entiendan que "ain't" no es una palabra, así que si piensan que van a usarlo, nosotros estamos aquí para decirles que no se va a permitir.
Well there's no use in going there 'cause they ain't no "there" there. Their mistake wasn't that they didn't try. I ain't gonna try either 'cos I jes' cain't put this h'yar talkin' in no kinda Spanish. So There!
The dog likes its ball and it's unhappy the cat's sitting beside it.
Al El perro le gusta su bola y es infeliz el gato está sentando al lado a ella.
Es tu fiesta, pero no deberías haber llorido llorado, no fue bien.
It’s your party, but you shouldn’t’ve cried, it wasn’t good.
Aiden hasn't (often pronounced hat'n in the States) done his homework, but there's a party at Joe's house, so he's lied to his mother and told her he's done it, even though he knows he shouldn't've—and wouldn't've except for the fact that Joe's invited Sara, who's the hottest girl in school.
Aiden no ha hecho la tarea, pero hay un fiesta en la casa de Joe, así que ha mentido a su madre y le dicho que la ha hecho, aunque él sabe que no lo debería ha hecho—y no tendría, salvo el hecho que Joe ha invitado a Sara, que es la más buena chica en la escuela.
I would’ve done it, I could’ve done it, I should’ve done it, but I didn’t do it. ‘Nuf said.
The last (‘nuf for enough) may not be legitimate, standard English.
Lo habría hecho, lo podría haber hecho, Lo debería haber hecho, pero no lo hice. Ya he dicho suficiente.
Es posible que el último ejemplo no sea inglés estándar.
I haven't a clue what you mean .
No tengo ni idea de lo que quieres decir.
Who'd've thought it'd be possible t'find more contractions? Doesn't that shock you?
I'm amazed.
¿Quién hubiera pensado que sería posible encontrar más contracciones. ¿No que te choque? Estoy asombrado.
¿Lo que hay en un nombre? Nada cuando es un avatar .
What's in a name? Nothing when it's an avatar.
Farewell to the apostrophe: Waterstone's has become Waterstones as the company says this makes more sense in the digital age.
Are you an accurate and correct user of English? Of course you are. Well, answer the following question. Is there an apostrophe in any of the following, and, if so, where? 1) Barons Court; 2) Finnegans Wake; 3) Earls Court; 4) Howards End; 5) the 1960s; 7) Its usually time to give the dog its dinner, before the childrens; 8) Howards Way; 9) Harrods; 10) Goethes Faust; and 11) Waterstones.
Simple. There’s no apostrophe in Barons Court, Finnegans Wake, Howards End, or Harrods; there is at least one apostrophe in Earl’s Court, “it’s usually time to give the dog its dinner, before the children’s”, and Howard’s Way. There is an apostrophe in Goethe’s Faust if you are writing in English, but not in German; there may or may not be an apostrophe in the 1960s (1960’s), depending on whom you ask; and there was an apostrophe in Waterstone’s until the other day. If you could answer all of those correctly without checking, you are either slightly obsessive or a sub-editor.
Shouldn't we have more answers to this thread?
¿No deberíamos tener más respuestas a este hilo?
What really bugs me is when I see in newspapers or magazines the use of an apostrophe to indicate plurals, Ex. I like to read book's. Driving motorcycle's is a lot of fun, etc.
Lo que me molesta más es cuando veo en los periódicos o las revistas el uso del apóstrofe para indicar el plural. Vea los exemplos de arriba.
Very nice thread, Ian. 
I don't get the feeling that my students get this bit wrong...however they do when we talk about Saxon genitive.
It's not a question of its complicated nature, but Peter's personality, its ups and down...... it's quite annoying.
Dog: "This kennel is wonderful! It's just what I always wanted and it has its own area just for chewing bones!"
El perro: "¡Esta caseta es estupenda! ¡Es exactamente ( o justo) lo que siempre quería y tiene su propia zona para masticar huesos!"
Corrijan mi español si es necesario, por favor
When there's an, apos tro phe.....the purpose is quite clear to see,
Though to some It's quite absurd, this sign just means they're two split words!
The other word, as I have shown, is every dog likes its own bone!
Without the sign: 'apostrophe', it could belong to you or me!
I hope this little poem that I made up helps you to understand the difference between the word it's and its!
