DIFFERENTIATION, LEARNING OBJECTIVES, SEASONALITY, & AGE RANGE FAQs

DIFFERENTIATION

What is a Differentiated Resource?

A differentiated resource is one that provides the same exercise in two distinct versions. Each version has its own format and separate instructions.

Why Differentiate?

The material is differentiated to accommodate children and students with a range of abilities and strengths. The differentiation also means that the exercise can be used more than once - with Version 2 providing an extra (or subsequent) challenge.

How is this Resource Differentiated?

Version 1 provides children and students with guided practice. They are given both words in a pair of brackets each time, enabling children and students to see the words in the context of every sentence.

Version 2 gives children and students the opportunity to practise independently. The sentences contain blanks for the children and students to complete with their chosen word.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES & OUTCOMES

These exercises help children and students concentrate on correctly choosing between its (determiner) and it’s (contraction of it or it has).

Focusing on these two commonly confused words helps reinforce the meanings and uses of these words for children and students, thus making it easier for children and students to employ the words correctly in their work in the future.

SEASONALITY

You can use this resource at any point during the year. It may be particularly useful to children and students when they are learning about the differences between its and it’s; when they are studying homophones and/or commonly confused words; or, as a targeted revision tool before mock tests or exams.

AGE RANGE & SUITABILITY

Kindly note that the years and ages listed above are intended as recommendations only. Feel free to use this resource in any educational context that is appropriate to your needs.

ITS AND IT'S - FAQs

WHAT ARE ITS AND IT'S?

Despite the confusion they cause, these two words are quite different.

Its (without the apostrophe) is a special type of word that shows that something belongs to something (i.e., a possessive determiner).

• The dog wagged its tail. (The tail belongs to the dog.)
• The tree lost its leaves in autumn. (The leaves belong to the tree.)
• The car needs its engine checked. (The engine belongs to the car.)

(Note: other possessive determiners include words like his, my, and our, which also tell us what belongs to whom.)

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It’s (with the apostrophe) is an abbreviation (i.e., a contraction, contracted form or shortened form) of one of two pairs of words: it is or it has.

• it's a beautiful day. (Expanded form: It is a beautiful day.)
• it's been a long time. (Expanded form: It has been a long time.)
• That dog is chasing a ball; it's happy. (Expanded form: it is happy.)

Here, the apostrophe is telling us that letters have been removed:

• The i from it is (it’s)
• The ha from it has (it’s)

(Note: other contractions include words like they’re, doesn’t, I’ll, and won’t, which also use the apostrophe to show that letters have been removed.)

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WHY ARE ITS AND IT'S SO CONFUSING?

One key reason these two words are confusing is that they sound the same when we say them, but they have different meanings and different spellings (i.e., they are homophones).

The other reason its and it’s are so easily mixed up is made up of two linked factors:

• what the word its means
• the fact that it doesn’t have an apostrophe

As we already know, its is a special type of word (like his, her, your, my, our etc.) that tells us what belongs to whom.

However, we are also taught that we often need to use an apostrophe + s to show ownership (e.g. John’s book = the book that John owns = the book that belongs to John).

So, it is easy to see why it feels logical to use it’s with an apostrophe to show ownership.

However, this is always a mistake because it’s never shows ownership; the contraction only ever stands for it is or it has.

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HOW TO REMEMBER THE DIFFERENCE & CHECK YOU'VE USED THE CORRECT ONE

Luckily, there is an easy strategy that your child can use to remember the difference—or to make sure that they have used the correct word in their work.

(I) When you see its or it’s in a sentence, swap them with it is or it has.

(II) If the sentence still makes sense with either it is or it has, then the correct word is the one with the apostrophe: it’s.

• It’s raining →
• It is raining = correct
• It has raining = incorrect. We never say this; we would say, “It has been raining”.
• It’s been raining →
• It is been raining = incorrect. We never say this; the correct form would be “It has been raining”.
• It has been raining = correct

(III) If the sentence does NOT make sense with either, then the correct word is the one without the apostrophe: its.

• The cat licked its paw →
• The cat licked its paw = incorrect
• The cat licked it has paw = incorrect

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