its their

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "its their" is not correct in written English.
The correct form would be "it's their" or "its" depending on the context. Example: "It's their responsibility to complete the project on time."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

42 human-written examples

When students start interacting with an ITS, their prior knowledge with respect to the target domain is typically assessed using a multiple choice pre-test although other forms of assessment such as open answer problem solving are sometimes used.

Smart Learning Environments

Based on the requested service, the VSN Manager identifies the WSI(s) that must be engaged for the provisioning of the service and contacts its(their) VGW(s) through the Initiate_WSI_Service function call.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

They don't understand that it's not only an income that fishing provides, it's everything; its their diet, it's their bartering tool.

Huffington Post

Or accidentally grabs it thinking its their own.

Huffington Post

I'm saying that for these technologies, spending can't stop dead in its their tracks as it did in 2001.

Forbes

It is evident that its (their) formation is related to the modifications of the chromophore part of DOX resulting in the important changes of its absorption spectrum.

British Journal of Cancer

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

18 human-written examples

Its contents: their bed, their wedding gifts, their lives — on hold for their sport.

The Washington Post

The guts are its people: their opinions, their news, their daily routines.

The Guardian - Travel

Otherwise, the movie revels in its girls — their thoughts, their experiences.

The New Yorker

Priests strode openly in its towns; their temples menaced its squares; their sinister missions cropped up at the edge of native villages".

The New Yorker

Ecgonine, its derivatives, their salts, isomers, and salts of isomers.

Cornell University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When you intend to use a possessive form, make sure you use "its" for inanimate objects or animals, or "his/her/their" for people or groups. For example: "The dog wagged its tail" or "The students presented their project."

Common error

Avoid using "its their" as it is grammatically incorrect. Remember that "its" indicates possession (e.g., "The company improved its profits"), "it's" is a contraction of "it is" or "it has" (e.g., "It's a beautiful day"), and neither is interchangeable with "their", which indicates possession by a group (e.g., "The team celebrated their victory").

Linguistic Context

The construction "its their" is a grammatical error stemming from confusion between possessive pronouns and contractions. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase is incorrect. The correct form depends on the intended meaning.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "its their" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided. As Ludwig AI clearly indicates, it represents a confusion between the possessive pronoun "its" and the possessive adjective "their", or the contraction "it's". To express possession correctly, use "its" for non-personal entities (e.g., "The company improved its performance") or "their" for groups (e.g., "The students completed their project"). For the meaning "it is their", use the contraction "it's their". Always prioritize correct grammar to ensure clear and effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it is their

This is the full, grammatically correct form of the contracted "it's their", emphasizing the copular verb.

they own it

This is a simple and direct statement of ownership.

it's theirs

This uses the possessive pronoun "theirs" instead of the possessive determiner "their" followed by a noun. The meaning changes slightly to emphasize possession.

belonging to them

This phrase uses a prepositional phrase to indicate ownership, offering a more descriptive alternative.

it is owned by them

This uses a passive voice to indicate ownership.

that belongs to them

This adds a demonstrative pronoun and verb to specify what item or thing is being referred to.

their property

This uses the noun "property" to explicitly state that something is owned by them.

in their possession

This phrase emphasizes the state of having something, rather than the act of owning it.

under their ownership

This highlights the legal aspect of owning something.

theirs to keep

This emphasizes the right to retain possession.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use "its", "it's", and "their" in a sentence?

"Its" shows possession (e.g., The cat licked its paw). "It's" is a contraction of "it is" or "it has" (e.g., It's raining). "Their" indicates possession by a group (e.g., The students submitted their assignments).

Is "its their" ever grammatically correct?

No, "its their" is not grammatically correct. You should use either "its" to indicate possession by something that is not a person, or "it's their" if you mean "it is their".

What can I use instead of the incorrect phrase "its their"?

Depending on the context, you might use "its" to show possession by something that is not a person, like in the sentence "The company is known for "its innovation"". Alternatively, to express something belongs to a group, use "their".

What is the difference between "its" and "it's"?

"Its" is a possessive pronoun indicating ownership (e.g., The bird built its nest). "It's" is a contraction that means "it is" or "it has" (e.g., It's a beautiful day, or It's been a long time).