Which sentence demonstrates the proper use of its as a possessive pronoun for a non-human subject?

Which sentence demonstrates the proper use of its as a possessive pronoun for a non-human subject?

• A. The cat licked its paw.
• B. The cat licked it's paw.
• C. The cat licked its paw's.
• D. The cat lick its paw.

Answer: (A)

This tests using its as a possessive pronoun for a non-human subject. Its shows ownership by something like an animal or object without using an apostrophe. In the sentence, the paw belongs to the cat, so its correctly indicates that the paw is owned by the cat: The cat licked its paw. Using it's would be incorrect here because it's is a contraction for it is or it has, not possession. The form its paw's would add an unnecessary possessive on the paw itself, which isn’t needed here, and The cat lick its paw has a verb form that doesn’t agree with the singular subject.

This tests using its as a possessive pronoun for a non-human subject. Its shows ownership by something like an animal or object without using an apostrophe. In the sentence, the paw belongs to the cat, so its correctly indicates that the paw is owned by the cat: The cat licked its paw. Using it's would be incorrect here because it's is a contraction for it is or it has, not possession. The form its paw's would add an unnecessary possessive on the paw itself, which isn’t needed here, and The cat lick its paw has a verb form that doesn’t agree with the singular subject.