Flowexam.com teacher explaining possessives and demonstratives in English on a blackboard with examples for TOEIC® preparation

This / These / Its / It's in the TOEIC®: Common Pitfalls and Mistakes to Avoid

(Updated: January 21, 2026)

Flow Exam team

This / These / Its / It’s on the TOEIC®: Avoiding Traps That Cost You Points

Possessives (my, your, his) and demonstratives (this, that, these, those) are determiners that indicate possession or proximity regarding an item.

On the TOEIC®, they appear primarily in Part 5 and 6, often in questions where you must choose between a possessive and a demonstrative, or identify the correct agreement.

The classic error: confusing "its" (possessive) and "it's" (contraction), or incorrectly agreeing the demonstrative with the noun. These small mistakes easily cost you recoverable points, and TOEIC® designers regularly test candidates on this trap in Part 5.

Possessives: Rules and Forms in English

Possessives indicate ownership. On the TOEIC®, two forms exist:

  • possessive adjectives (my, your, his)
  • and possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his).

Possessive adjectives always precede a noun. Possessive pronouns replace it.

Adjectives vs. Possessive Pronouns:

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TOEIC® Example:

  • "The company updated its policy last week."
  • "This laptop is mine, not yours."

Even among candidates who already have access to a preparation platform through their school, confusion between its and it’s comes up very often in Part 5.

The problem isn’t the rule itself, but the lack of focused practice on these confusing points.

When candidates practice directly on these traps, with method reminders and tips provided exactly when the error occurs, they make significantly fewer mistakes.
This is exactly the kind of training you get when you review for your TOEIC® with Flow Exam.

Demonstratives: Distance and Agreement

Demonstratives (this, that, these, those) indicate proximity (near object vs. far object) and must agree in number (singular vs. plural) with the noun.

TOEIC® Examples:

  • "This report needs your approval by Friday."
  • "These documents were submitted yesterday."
  • "That meeting we had last month was productive."
  • "Those policies apply to all employees."

Decision Chart:

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Agreement with the Main Noun (and not the closest word!)

In the TOEIC®, demonstrative-noun agreement is often tested with long sentences. The noun is separated from the demonstrative by objects, adjectives, or relative clauses.

Classic Structure:

  • "This detailed analysis of the quarterly results show..." → Incorrect
    "This detailed analysis of the quarterly results shows..." → Correct

The demonstrative "this" agrees with "analysis" (singular), not with "results" (plural). The verb follows the main subject.

Some students can sometimes be tricked by the noun closest to the verb. But the real subject is placed at the beginning of the sentence, right after the demonstrative.

Demonstratives Used Alone

Demonstratives can also be used alone, as pronouns, to replace a previously mentioned noun.

  • "We reviewed several proposals. This is the most cost-effective."
  • "I prefer those to the previous models."

In the TOEIC®, this form often appears in Part 6 (fill-in-the-blank texts), where you must choose the correct demonstrative based on context and number.

Frequent Errors and How to Avoid Them

Clearly, many candidates foolishly lose points on these exact traps.

Table of Classic Errors:

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The "its" vs. "it's" Trap in Detail

On the TOEIC®, this trap appears in 1 out of 3 questions concerning possessives in Part 5. The rule must be instinctive:

  • its = possessive (its, for an object/company)
  • it's = contraction of "it is" or "it has"

Quick test: try replacing it with "it is." If the sentence makes sense, use "it's." Otherwise, use "its."

  • "The company announced its new strategy." → it is new strategy? No. Therefore, its.
  • "It's important to review the guidelines." → It is important? Yes. Therefore, it's.

Complex Agreements: Demonstratives + Complements

When a complement separates the demonstrative from the main noun, TOEIC designers are testing your ability to spot the real subject.

  • "This series of workshops is designed for managers."

"Series" = singular (same spelling in plural, but here it is singular because of "this").

  • "These types of contracts require legal review."

"Types" = plural, so "these" and the verb are plural.

Successful candidates apply a simple method: isolate the main subject (right after the demonstrative) and check the agreement.

No need to unnecessarily memorize lists of rules; what matters is truly understanding the sentence’s meaning to identify the subject and the resulting determiners.

Checklist for Test Day

On the big day, you will have very little time per question in Part 5. Here is a quick method for possessives and demonstratives.

Step 1: Identify the Type

  • Is it a possessive? Check if there is a noun immediately following. If yes, possessive adjective. If no, possessive pronoun.
  • Is it a demonstrative? Check the noun’s number (singular/plural).

Step 2: Apply the Rule

  • Possessive: "its" or "it's"? Test by replacing with "it is."
  • Demonstrative: singular or plural? Find the main noun, not the complement.

Step 3: Verify Agreement

  • The verb agrees with the main subject, not the nearest complement.

Tips for Answering in a TOEIC® Context:

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In Part 6, demonstratives often appear at the beginning of a sentence to refer back to information mentioned in the preceding paragraph. You must identify the noun they refer to.

Ready to Practice?

Now you have mastered the rules for possessives and demonstratives and you know the classic TOEIC® traps.
The next step: practice under real conditions, with questions that exactly replicate the format of the official test.

On Flow Exam, you can practice directly on the Determiners topic in Part 5, with thousands of questions in the same format as the official TOEIC®. You will specifically work on possessives, demonstratives, and other determiners that appear on the test.

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