Cool MateIts vs Our
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Its
Top 1,000 (very common)A1determiner
Our
High-frequency chunkA1determiner
| Its | Our | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ɪts/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɪts/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ɑː(r)//ˈaʊə(r)/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɑːr//ˈaʊər/"]/ |
| Meaning | Belonging to it. | belonging to us |
| Example | Turn the box on its side. | our daughter/dog/house |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | High-frequency chunk |
| CEFR level | A1 | A1 |
| Part of speech | determiner | determiner |
| Collocations | its meaning, its value, its characteristics | our family, our team, our country |
| Antonyms | his, her, their | your, their, my |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'it's' (it is or it has)., Used incorrectly to refer to people instead of objects., Omitted when needed to show possession. | Confused with 'are' in some spoken contexts., Omitting it in contractions like 'we're' instead of 'we are'. |
| Usage notes | Used to show that something belongs to an object or animal. Make sure not to confuse it with 'it's' (it is). | Used to show that something belongs to a group that includes the speaker. It's appropriate in most contexts, both spoken and written. Avoid using in very formal writing where other possessive forms might be preferred. |
Frequently asked questions: Its vs Our
What's the difference between Its and Our?
Its: Belonging to it. Our: belonging to us
Are Its and Our the same CEFR level?
Its: A1, Our: A1 on the CEFR scale.
What part of speech are Its and Our?
Its: determiner, Our: determiner.
Can you show an example of each?
Its: Turn the box on its side. Our: our daughter/dog/house
Can I use Its and Our interchangeably?
Not always. Its and Our are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.