Grammar 101

I am on a campaign to make sure the world knows the difference between its and it's. What better place to start than the blog?

It's pretty simple. If you see an apostrophe, substitute the word is - as in it IS pretty simple. It's is a contraction that stands for it is or it has.

So if you are writing the sentence:

 The horse galloped by, it's tail flowing in the wind.

and you read it substituting the word is for the apostrophe you end up with:

 The horse galloped by, it is tail flowing in the wind.

It's then apparent you do not use the apostrophe but should use the word its.

The horse galloped by, its tail flowing in the wind.

Got it? It's important! Next up is there, their and they're.