Cool MateIts vs That
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Its
Top 1,000 (very common)A1determiner
That
High-frequency chunkA1determiner
| Its | That | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ɪts/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɪts/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ðæt/","/ðəʊz/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ðæt/","/ðəʊz/"]/ |
| Meaning | Belonging to it. | used to refer to a specific thing or person |
| Example | Turn the box on its side. | Look at that man over there. |
| 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 | that is, that way, that means, not that, that much |
| Antonyms | his, her, their | this |
| 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. | Confusing 'that' with 'which' in restrictive vs non-restrictive clauses., Using 'that' when the antecedent is a person (use 'who')., Overusing 'that' in sentences, which can make them awkward. |
| 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 refer to something already mentioned or known. In spoken English, it's often used informally. Be careful not to use it in overly formal writing where specificity is needed. |
Frequently asked questions: Its vs That
What's the difference between Its and That?
Its: Belonging to it. That: used to refer to a specific thing or person
Are Its and That the same CEFR level?
Its: A1, That: A1 on the CEFR scale.
What part of speech are Its and That?
Its: determiner, That: determiner.
Can you show an example of each?
Its: Turn the box on its side. That: Look at that man over there.
Can I use Its and That interchangeably?
Not always. Its and That 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.