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Chapter overview
Learning goals
Learning Goals
English
Summary
The apostrophe is a very important and often misused punctuation mark (') that does two main jobs: it indicates possession and omission.
An apostrophe can show that something belongs to someone or something. In other words, an apostrophe can form a possessive noun.
For singular nouns, the rule is simple: add an apostrophe and an s.
The cat's toy
The boy's uniform
The car's wheels
For plural nouns that already end in s, only add an apostrophe.
The cats' toys (multiple cats)
The boys' uniform (multiple boys)
The cars' wheels (multiple cars)
For plural nouns that don't end in s (irregular nouns), add an apostrophe and an s.
People's beliefs
The men's bathroom
The children's playroom
For singular proper nouns (like names), the rule is the same as for common nouns: add an apostrophe and an s.
Sadia's friend is visiting her this weekend.
Joel's homework is done.
However, when the singular proper noun ends in s, some writers only add an apostrophe while others add an apostrophe and (another) s.
Charles Dickens' characters
OR
Charles Dickens's characters
Note: both ways are acceptable but whatever way you choose, stay consistent. Don't switch between the two in your writing.
For plural proper nouns that end in s, only add an apostrophe.
The Smiths' holiday house (more than one Smith family member)
The word 'omission' means to leave something out. In English, letters or groups of letters are often left out to make words shorter or join words together and therefore make speech or writing easier and faster. This is known as a contraction and apostrophes are used to represent these left-out letters.
I am | ⟶ | I'm |
are not | ⟶ | aren't |
she will | ⟶ | she'll |
they had/would | ⟶ | they'd |
he is | ⟶ | he's |
Not all contractions are two words joined together. Some contractions are simply shorter versions of one word or a shorter way to say a few words.
cannot | ⟶ | can't |
will not | ⟶ | won't |
Omission of letters is also present in writing to represent a particular style of speech. These less common contractions are used more in dialogue to reflect the way people actually talk or in poetry to enhance the rhythm.
something | ⟶ | somethin' |
ever | ⟶ | e'er |
am not/have not | ⟶ | ain't |
I'm going to | ⟶ | I'mma |
Note: it's important to note that contractions are generally informal, especially those in the example above, and should not be used in formal writing.
Two exceptions to the rules discussed above are the frequently-confused words, 'it's' and 'its'.
'It's' is a contraction of 'it is' or 'it has'. 'It's' is never a possessive.
It's not that difficult. | ⟶ | It is not that difficult. |
It's been a great day. | ⟶ | It has been a great day. |
'Its', on the other hand, is the possessive for 'it' or belonging to 'it'. It is a possessive pronoun (like his, hers, yours, theirs).
Italy is famous for its pizza. | meaning | The pizza belonging to Italy is famous. |
The dog spends most of its time playing. | meaning | The time belonging to the dog is spent playing. |
The apostrophe is a very important and often misused punctuation mark (') that does two main jobs: it indicates possession and omission.
An apostrophe can show that something belongs to someone or something. In other words, an apostrophe can form a possessive noun.
For singular nouns, the rule is simple: add an apostrophe and an s.
The cat's toy
The boy's uniform
The car's wheels
For plural nouns that already end in s, only add an apostrophe.
The cats' toys (multiple cats)
The boys' uniform (multiple boys)
The cars' wheels (multiple cars)
For plural nouns that don't end in s (irregular nouns), add an apostrophe and an s.
People's beliefs
The men's bathroom
The children's playroom
For singular proper nouns (like names), the rule is the same as for common nouns: add an apostrophe and an s.
Sadia's friend is visiting her this weekend.
Joel's homework is done.
However, when the singular proper noun ends in s, some writers only add an apostrophe while others add an apostrophe and (another) s.
Charles Dickens' characters
OR
Charles Dickens's characters
Note: both ways are acceptable but whatever way you choose, stay consistent. Don't switch between the two in your writing.
For plural proper nouns that end in s, only add an apostrophe.
The Smiths' holiday house (more than one Smith family member)
The word 'omission' means to leave something out. In English, letters or groups of letters are often left out to make words shorter or join words together and therefore make speech or writing easier and faster. This is known as a contraction and apostrophes are used to represent these left-out letters.
I am | ⟶ | I'm |
are not | ⟶ | aren't |
she will | ⟶ | she'll |
they had/would | ⟶ | they'd |
he is | ⟶ | he's |
Not all contractions are two words joined together. Some contractions are simply shorter versions of one word or a shorter way to say a few words.
cannot | ⟶ | can't |
will not | ⟶ | won't |
Omission of letters is also present in writing to represent a particular style of speech. These less common contractions are used more in dialogue to reflect the way people actually talk or in poetry to enhance the rhythm.
something | ⟶ | somethin' |
ever | ⟶ | e'er |
am not/have not | ⟶ | ain't |
I'm going to | ⟶ | I'mma |
Note: it's important to note that contractions are generally informal, especially those in the example above, and should not be used in formal writing.
Two exceptions to the rules discussed above are the frequently-confused words, 'it's' and 'its'.
'It's' is a contraction of 'it is' or 'it has'. 'It's' is never a possessive.
It's not that difficult. | ⟶ | It is not that difficult. |
It's been a great day. | ⟶ | It has been a great day. |
'Its', on the other hand, is the possessive for 'it' or belonging to 'it'. It is a possessive pronoun (like his, hers, yours, theirs).
Italy is famous for its pizza. | meaning | The pizza belonging to Italy is famous. |
The dog spends most of its time playing. | meaning | The time belonging to the dog is spent playing. |
Using possessive apostrophes
Apostrophes
FAQs
Question: What is the difference between it's and its?
Answer: 'It's' is a contraction of 'it is' or 'it has'. 'Its', on the other hand, is the possessive for 'it' or belonging to 'it'. It is a possessive pronoun (like his, hers, yours, theirs).
Question: What is the purpose of contractions?
Answer: To make words shorter or join words together and therefore make speech or writing easier and faster.
Question: What does an apostrophe do?
Answer: An apostrophe can show that something belongs to someone or something. In other words, an apostrophe can form a possessive noun. They are also used to represent left-out letters in contractions.
Theory
Exercises
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