4 Simple Things to Remember about Apostrophes

Apostrophes: The Unsung Heroes of Clear Writing

Apostrophes might seem insignificant, but mastering their use significantly enhances clarity and professionalism in writing. This guide clarifies their four primary functions: indicating possession, forming plurals (in specific cases), creating contractions, and their (incorrect) use with verbs. Misuse leads to confusion and an unprofessional appearance.

Key Points:

• Apostrophes serve four key roles: showing possession, forming certain plurals, replacing missing letters in contractions, and (incorrectly) appearing with verbs. Proper use is crucial for clear communication.
• Singular nouns take an apostrophe and an 's' to show possession (e.g., "dog's bone"), while plural nouns ending in 's' only require an apostrophe (e.g., "dogs' bone"). Possessive pronouns (hers, its, yours, ours, theirs, his) never use apostrophes.
• Contractions use apostrophes to represent omitted letters (e.g., "that's" for "that is," "it's" for "it is" or "it has"). Avoid using them for plurals except in cases preventing ambiguity (like "p's and q's"). Never use them with verbs to create the third-person singular (e.g., "he runs," not "he run's").

1. Possession:

Apostrophes primarily signal possession. For instance, "the dog's bone" clearly indicates the bone belongs to the dog. Omitting the apostrophe creates ambiguity ("dogs" implies multiple dogs).

Exceptions: Possessive pronouns (hers, its, yours, ours, theirs, his) remain apostrophe-free.

Nouns Ending in 's': For names like James, either "James' dog" or "James's dog" is acceptable; pronunciation guides the choice.

Plural Possession: "The dogs' bone" shows the bone belongs to multiple dogs. The apostrophe follows the 's' in plural nouns. Note the difference between "the company's website" and "the companies' websites." Similarly, "the Joneses' dog" is correct if "Joneses" is the plural form of the family name. For words like "men," "women," and "children," add 's as usual (e.g., "men's team").

2. Plurals:

The plural of "dog" is simply "dogs." Avoid using apostrophes for general plurals—a common mistake.

Exceptions: Apostrophes can clarify plurals in specific cases to prevent confusion, such as "p's and q's." However, avoid them with abbreviations like "CDs," "DVDs," or "1990s."

3. Contractions:

Apostrophes replace omitted letters in contractions (e.g., "that's," "it's," "he'll," "she'll," "we'd," "we're"). Omitting them leads to errors and confusion (e.g., "hell" vs. "he'll").

It's vs. Its: The most common error involves "it's" (contraction of "it is" or "it has") and "its" (possessive pronoun). If substituting "it is" makes sense, use "it's"; otherwise, use "its." "Its'" is never correct.

Other frequently confused pairs include: "you're" (you are) vs. "your," "they're" (they are) vs. "their" vs. "there," and "who's" (who is) vs. "whose."

4. Verbs:

Never add an apostrophe to verbs to form the third-person singular (e.g., "he runs," not "he run's").

Self-Test:

(Correct answers are provided at the end of the original article.)

1. It’s OK to ask questions.
2. Most dog’s possess a tail.
3. Marys’ blog is better.
4. Dont be so sure.
5. Well, we’ll see.
6. You’re going to regret this.
7. She cut off their tail’s with a carving knife.
8. She was the people’s advocate.
9. The car lost its hubcap.
10. The bosses’ employees went on strike.
11. DVDs are are a bit old now.
12. A woman played in the mens’ team.
13. The Web began in the early 1990’s.
14. She clearly walk’s the walk.
15. Mr Apple’s oranges are very sweet.
16. He was in his 40s when he got married.
17. Christmas celebrates Jesus’ birth.
18. It’s hard keeping up with the Joneses.

(The FAQs section from the original article would be included here, reworded for conciseness and clarity if desired.)

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