Choosing between its self and itself matters for clear writing and correct grammar. In this article I will explain the difference, give examples, and label the parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, pronouns) so you can see why itself is usually the right form. Itself is a reflexive pronoun used when a subject and object refer to the same thing: The (article) cat (noun) licked (verb, past simple) itself (reflexive pronoun).
By contrast, its is a possessive pronoun (determiner) that shows ownership: The (article) company (noun) updated (verb, past simple) its (possessive pronoun) policy (noun). The two-word string its self is almost always incorrect in modern Standard English, because its already marks possession and self used as a separate noun is redundant or awkward.
I will check verb tense and subject–verb agreement in example sentences, place modifiers next to the words they modify, and correct fragments or run-ons. We will explore contextual examples, common mistakes, American vs British English differences, idiomatic uses, and practical tips for writers and editors.
Contextual Examples
Simple Reflexive Use
Example: The (article) machine (noun) shut (verb, past simple) itself (reflexive pronoun) down (adverb).
Analysis: Subject–verb agreement: machine (singular) + shut (singular past form is the same as plural) — correct. Itself refers back to the subject (machine). Parts of speech: the (article), machine (noun), shut (verb), itself (pronoun used reflexively), down (adverb).
Why this works: Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) are single words and directly link back to the subject. Use them when the subject performs an action on itself.
Possessive Its With Noun Self
Example (rare/poetic): The organism preserved its self as a distinct unit.
Analysis: its (possessive pronoun), self (noun). Grammatically, this phrase can appear when self is intentionally used as a noun meaning “the self” — a concept in psychology or philosophy. Check verb tense and agreement: organism (singular) preserved (past simple) — correct.
Practical note: In ordinary, everyday English, writers prefer its own self (if they mean possession) or simply itself (if reflexive). So prefer: The organism preserved itself. If you need the philosophical nuance of the self as a noun, write clearly: The organism preserved its own self — where own (adjective) marks possession and self is a noun.
Emphatic Phrasing With Own
Example: The (article) machine (noun) calibrated (verb, past simple) its own self for the test.
Analysis: its (possessive pronoun), own (adjective), self (noun). This three-word sequence is more acceptable than its self because own clarifies possession; however, it is wordier than simply itself. Better: The machine calibrated itself for the test.
Predicate Position
Example: The (article) rule (noun) is (verb, present simple) company-wide (adjective) and (conjunction) affects (verb, present simple) itself (reflexive pronoun) on (preposition) many (adjective) levels (noun).
Analysis: is (verb) agrees with rule (singular). Use itself when the object is the same as the subject. Avoid its self here.
Appositive With Noun Self
Example (technical): When modeling identity, the term its self (noun phrase) may be used to discuss the object’s notion of selfhood.
Analysis: This is a meta-linguistic or technical use and should be clearly signaled as such — for example by italics, quotation marks, or a parenthetical note — to avoid reader confusion. In most writing, prefer the object’s sense of itself.
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Writing Its Self Instead Of Itself
Faulty: The robot cleaned its self after the spill.
Why It’s Wrong: The reflexive pronoun itself is one word. Using its self separates the possessive determiner its from self, which creates a nonstandard construction.
Fix: The robot cleaned itself after the spill.
Parts of Speech Check: The (article) robot (noun) cleaned (verb, past simple) itself (reflexive pronoun) after (preposition) the (article) spill (noun). Subject–verb agreement is correct.
Mistake: Confusing Its and It’s
Faulty: It’s color faded.
Why It’s Wrong: It’s with an apostrophe is a contraction for it is or it has, not a possessive. The sentence should use its without an apostrophe.
Fix: Its color faded.
Expanded: Its (possessive pronoun) color (noun) faded (verb, past simple).
Common Error Explanation: Many writers mistakenly add the apostrophe because possessives often use apostrophes in English (John’s book). But its belongs to a small set of pronouns that form possessives without apostrophes (his, hers, its, ours, theirs).
Mistake: Using Its Self For Reflexive With Own Missing
Faulty: The company prides its self on quality.
Why It’s Wrong: This is nonstandard. Correct reflexive pronoun is itself. If you want to emphasize ownership, use its own self, though itself is better.
Fix: The company prides itself on quality.
Or (emphatic): The company prides its own self on quality (wordy; avoid when possible).
Mistake: Using Himself/Herself Instead Of Itself For Non-Person Subjects
Faulty: The machine turned herself off.
Why It’s Wrong: Use itself for non-person nouns; use himself/herself only for animate male/female referents when personhood is implied.
Fix: The machine turned itself off.
Caveat: Some writers anthropomorphize devices and may deliberately use gendered pronouns; follow style guide.
Mistake: Splitting Reflexive With Possessive Its
Faulty: The system rebooted its self and recovered.
Why It’s Wrong: Splitting yields incorrect grammar. Correct: The system rebooted itself and recovered.
Mistake: Redundant Possessive + Reflexive
Faulty: The cat licked its own itself.
Why It’s Wrong: Redundant and ungrammatical. Use either its own fur (possession) or itself (reflexive).
Fix: The cat licked itself.
American vs British English Differences
Core Rule Is Shared
Both American and British English use itself as the reflexive pronoun and its as the possessive pronoun. The rule about it’s (contraction) vs its (possessive) is the same in both dialects. There is no major regional difference here.
Example (American): The company updated its policy to protect data.
Example (British): The company updated its policy to protect data.
Analysis: Subject–verb agreement and pronoun choice are identical. The confusion arises mainly from apostrophe conventions, which are shared.
Stylistic Preferences For Emphasis
British writers may sometimes use constructions like its very self in literary or emphatic contexts (e.g., “the house in its very self seemed tired”). In that phrasing, its is possessive determiner and self functions as a noun emphasized by very. Still, modern style often prefers itself for most uses.
Literary Example: The ruin seemed to mourn its very self.
Modern Equivalent: The ruin seemed to mourn itself.
Note on Tone: The two-word form has a literary or rhetorical flavor. Use with care.
Localization And Translation
In translation or localization tasks, remember itself is often mapped to reflexive pronouns in target languages that have specific forms. Its (possessive) maps to possessive determiners. Keeping the English forms standard reduces translator confusion.
Idiomatic Expressions
Emphatic Uses
Sometimes writers use variants for emphasis:
• The house itself was the attraction.
Analysis: Itself is used for emphasis and stands apart syntactically. The subject (the house) is being emphasized; the verb is omitted in elliptical constructions.
Parts of Speech: the (article), house (noun), itself (reflexive/emphatic pronoun), was (verb), the (article), attraction (noun).
Contrastive Uses
Example: The idea, not its packaging, won the prize.
Analysis: Here its is possessive. Parts of speech: the (article) idea (noun), not (adverb), its (possessive pronoun), packaging (noun), won (verb, past simple) the (article) prize (noun).
Psychological Or Philosophical Usage
In psychology and philosophy, writers may treat self as a noun and pair it with possessives: its self, his self, her self. Modern practice usually prefers hyphenated or fused forms (e.g., himself, herself, itself) unless discussing the noun self as a concept (e.g., “the ego is the self”).
Example (philosophical): The organism must recognize its self as autonomous.
Better clarity: The organism must recognize its own self or The organism must recognize itself depending on nuance.
Advice: If you mean the reflexive action, use itself. If you discuss the self as a concept, make that explicit.
Practical Tips
Tip 1: Use Itself For Reflexive Actions
When the subject acts on the same subject, use itself.
Correct: The program updated itself overnight.
Parts of Speech: The (article) program (noun) updated (verb) itself (reflexive pronoun) overnight (adverb).
Tip 2: Use Its For Possession; No Apostrophe
Use its to show possession, and never add an apostrophe.
Correct: The company revised its policy.
Incorrect: The company revised it’s policy. (Here it’s would mean it is policy — ungrammatical.)
Tip 3: Avoid Its Self As A Default
Avoid writing its self except in specialized, clearly signaled contexts (philosophy, poetry). Even then, prefer its own self or itself depending on meaning.
Tip 4: When Emphasizing Possession, Use Its Own
If you need emphasis on possession, use its own rather than its self.
Example: The device protects its own components.
Or: The device protects itself (reflexive).
Tip 5: Check Apostrophes Carefully
When you see an apostrophe in it’s, expand it mentally: If it expands to it is or it has, the apostrophe is correct. If it indicates possession, it is incorrect.
Check: It’s (it is) late. → correct.
Check: The company updated it’s policy. → expand: The company updated it is policy — wrong. Use its.
Tip 6: Read Aloud To Catch Errors
Reading sentences aloud helps catch misplaced apostrophes and incorrect reflexive forms. If the sentence reads naturally with itself, use itself.
Tip 7: Use Grammar Tools, But Trust Rules
Grammar checkers help, but they sometimes miss subtle contexts like philosophical its self. Learn the rule: reflexive = itself; possessive = its.
Tip 8: Teach The Rule Simply
A simple mnemonic: itself is one word when the thing does something to itself; its is the possessive—no apostrophe.
Tip 9: Edit For Conciseness
Prefer concise constructions. Replace wordy sequences like its own self with itself unless nuance requires more explicit phrasing.
Tip 10: When Writing For Learners, Explain Both
If your audience includes English learners, show both forms and explain why itself is standard and its self appears only in niche contexts.
Conclusion
The safe, standard rule is simple: use itself as the reflexive pronoun and its as the possessive determiner. Avoid its self in ordinary writing. If you mean possession with emphasis, use its own; if you mean the reflexive action, use itself. In specialized, literary, or philosophical writing, you might see its self used as a noun phrase, but only when that use is deliberate and clearly signaled. Apply the checks shown here—label parts of speech, verify verb tense and subject–verb agreement, place modifiers next to what they modify, and read aloud—to keep your writing clean and accurate.
FAQs
- Q: Is “its self” ever correct?
A: In modern standard English, its self is rarely correct; use itself for reflexive actions. You may see its self in literary or philosophical contexts when self is treated as a noun, but make that usage explicit. - Q: When should I write “itself”?
A: Write itself when the subject acts on or refers back to the same thing: The (article) system (noun) rebooted (verb) itself (reflexive pronoun). - Q: How do I choose between “its” and “it’s”?
A: Expand it’s to it is or it has; if the expansion works, the contraction is correct. For possession use its without an apostrophe. - Q: Can I use “its own self” for emphasis?
A: Its own self is acceptable for emphasis or stylistic effect, but it is wordier than itself; prefer itself in most cases. - Q: Are there regional differences for “itself”?
A: No significant differences exist between American and British English for itself and its usage; both follow the same core rules. - Q: What about “himself/herself” vs “itself”?
A: Use himself or herself for people (or personified subjects when appropriate) and itself for non-person objects or animals unless gendered pronouns are deliberately assigned. - Q: How do I correct “it’s” used as a possessive?
A: Replace it’s with its when the meaning shows possession: The (article) company (noun) updated (verb) its policy (noun). - Q: Is “its self” used in psychology or philosophy?
A: In those fields, self can be a noun discussing identity; writers may sometimes write its self but should clarify meaning. Prefer its own self or itself depending on nuance.
