[kyberias]

I think this doesn't help.

What is relevant is that there are two forms: it's and its. Its easy to mix them by non-natives like myself.

No-one ever writes She's or Us's, but "It's" is valid as is its. It's easy to deduce that one should not write us's but it's not that easy with it. :)

[crusso]

Its easy to mix them by non-natives like myself

You're being far too generous to us natives by implying that this is only a problem for non-natives.

[scrollaway]

FYI: I'm not a native English speaker. I just love languages.

[sophacles]

Also:

Bob's going to Bob's house.

(Bob is going to the house Bob owns).

Look, a bear! It's going to its cave.

(Look a bear. It is going to the cave it owns)

"its" is a weird special case.

[scrollaway]

"It's" is a contraction of "it is", it doesn't exist in and of itself. Maybe that helps more?

[kyberias]

Argh... now I really got it backwards. What I meant to say was that one does not write "shes", one writes "her", and not "wes" but "our". And that does not apply to "it".

To summarize, comparison to other personal pronouns is irrelevant since "it" has a special combination of rules.

[scrollaway]

I'm not sure how "it" is special". Because its possessive ends in an s? So do "theirs", "hers", and "ours" (which I think are the ones you meant).

I think you're having a hard time because you're overcomplicating the matter. "its" is the possessive of "it". "it's" is a contraction of "it is". Possessives adjectives: My, Your, His, Her, Their, Its. Possessive pronouns: Mine, Yours, His, Her, Theirs, Its. You have four less to remember than with most languages :)

[kyberias]

I'm not sure why you need to tell me I'm having a hard time. I don't feel like having a hard time with this issue. Also I'm not overcomplicating anything.

You said it yourself: you're not sure how "it" is special. I'm sorry, I cannot help you any further. Maybe others in this thread can.

[mikeash]

"She's going to a play."

Doesn't check out, sorry.