possessives - Concerning: its'


During my formative years, I had access to many older publications and learned, or thought I did, that its' is the proper way to indicate possession. Thus:



"Speaking of this boat, its' hull needs patching up."



I am reading, mostly in current grammar blogs, that this form is absolutely incorrect. I am perplexed. For many years I have thought it was the opposite. I do not mind being wrong, so I thought I would ask.



Answer



It's is a contraction. The full form is it is.


Its is ONE WORD, a possessive form of it.



Its hull needs patching up.



No apostrophe.


You can't say "It is hull needs patching up," can you.


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