Cool MateIts vs That vs The
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Its
Top 1,000 (very common)A1determiner
That
High-frequency chunkA1determiner
The
High-frequency chunkA1
| Its | That | The | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ɪts/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɪts/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ðæt/","/ðəʊz/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ðæt/","/ðəʊz/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ðə//ði//ðiː/","/ðiː/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ðə//ði//ðiː/","/ðiː/"]/ |
| Meaning | Belonging to it. | used to refer to a specific thing or person | A word that shows a specific thing is being talked about. |
| Example | Turn the box on its side. | Look at that man over there. | The cat is on the mat. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | High-frequency chunk | High-frequency chunk |
| CEFR level | A1 | A1 | A1 |
| Part of speech | determiner | determiner | |
| Collocations | its meaning, its value, its characteristics | that is, that way, that means, not that, that much | the best, the worst, the first, the last, the same |
| 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. | Omitting 'the' before unique nouns, like 'the sun'., Using 'the' before general nouns, like 'the dogs' when talking about all dogs., Confused with 'a' or 'an' when referring to something for the first time. |
| 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. | Used before nouns to refer to something specific, like 'the book'. Common in both spoken and written English, but omitted in some languages. |
Frequently asked questions: Its vs That vs The
What's the difference between Its, That, and The?
Its: Belonging to it. That: used to refer to a specific thing or person The: A word that shows a specific thing is being talked about.
Are Its, That, and The the same CEFR level?
Its: A1, That: A1, The: A1 on the CEFR scale.
Can you show an example of each?
Its: Turn the box on its side. That: Look at that man over there. The: The cat is on the mat.
Can I use Its, That, and The interchangeably?
Not always. Its, That, and The 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.