Apostrophes: contractions, singular and plural possession
Apostrophes do just two jobs: show missing letters and show who owns something. They never make a plural. Learn the two jobs and the common mistakes vanish.
Quick answer
- Two jobs
- missing letters (contractions) and possession
- Key idea
- How many owners? One owner: apostrophe before the s. Many owners ending in s: after the s.
- Years
- Contractions and singular possession in Year 2; plural possession in Year 4.
Missing letters
In a contraction the apostrophe goes exactly where the letters are missing: did not becomes didn't, I will becomes I'll, they have becomes they've. Be careful with it's: it always means it is or it has.
Showing who owns something
| Owners | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| One person or thing | add 's | the girl's coat |
| Plural ending in s | add ' after the s | the girls' coats |
| Irregular plural | add 's | the children's toys |
Its or it's?
Say it is in the gap. If it fits, write it's. If it does not fit, you want the possessive its with no apostrophe: The dog wagged its tail. Possessive words such as his, hers, ours and theirs never take an apostrophe, and neither does its.
Apostrophes to avoid
Do not put an apostrophe in a plain plural. A sign saying Apple's for sale is wrong; it should read Apples for sale. Ask yourself: is something owned, or are letters missing? If neither, no apostrophe.
Quick quiz
8 questions. Answer them all, then check your score.
Questions
What about a name that ends in s, like James?
Both James's hat and James' hat are used. Pick one style and stay with it. The national curriculum notes that singular proper nouns ending in s use 's.
Related
Spelling lists and grammar terminology: Department for Education, National curriculum in England: English programmes of study, Appendices 1 and 2 (Crown copyright 2013), reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example sentences, tips, explanations and questions are by Litlings.