What are the two reasons we use an apostrophe?
Where do we use apostrophes?
- Use an apostrophe +”s” (‘s) to show that one person/thing owns or is a member of something.
- Use an apostrophe after the “s” (s’) at the end of a plural noun to show possession.
- If a plural noun doesn’t end in “s,” add an apostrophe + “s” to create the possessive form.
What are the rules for using an apostrophe?
Summing Up
- Do not use apostrophes to indicate plurality
- Use an apostrophe before the s to indicate ownership
- Use an apostrophe before the s to indicate membership
- Use an apostrophe after the s to indicate collective ownership
- Use an apostrophe after the s to indicate collective membership
- Use an apostrophe before the s for irregular plural nouns
How and when to use [and not use] apostrophes?
The apostrophe has three uses: 1) to form possessive nouns; 2) to show the omission of letters; and 3) to indicate plurals of letters, numbers, and symbols. Do not use apostrophes to form possessive pronouns (i.e. his / her computer) or noun plurals that are not possessives. 1) To Show Possession
Which is the correct use of the apostrophe?
- Use of apostrophe before “s” to show that an object is owned by one person. Example, Thecla’s car, Julius’s house. ...
- When showing possession by a plural noun an apostrophe is added after the “s”. E.g. grandparents’ room, boys’ toys. ...
- To form the possessive form of a plural noun which doesn’t end with an “s” just add an apostrophe with “s”. e.g. ...
What are the 2 rules for apostrophe?
Apostrophe Rules for PossessivesUse an apostrophe +"s" ('s) to show that one person/thing owns or is a member of something.Use an apostrophe after the "s" (s') at the end of a plural noun to show possession.If a plural noun doesn't end in "s," add an apostrophe + "s" to create the possessive form.
Where do we use apostrophe examples?
When using a singular noun, the apostrophe is used before the s. For example: “The squirrel's nuts were stashed in a hollow tree.” When using a plural noun, the apostrophe goes after the s. For example: “The squirrels' nuts were hidden in several hollow trees throughout the forest.”
Is it Chris's or Chris '?
Which is correct, Chris's chair or Chris' chair? James's car or James' car? Actually, both ways are correct. If a proper name ends with an s, you can add just the apostrophe or an apostrophe and an s.
What is the rule for apostrophe?
The basic rule is quite simple: use the apostrophe to indicate possession, not a plural. The exceptions to the rule may seem confusing: hers has no apostrophe, and it's is not possessive.
What are the five steps for using the apostrophe correctly?
Five Steps in Using the Apostrophe Correctly.Look for possessive construction. Usually two nouns appear together. The first.Reverse the nouns using a prepositional phrase. Examine the ownership word.It the ownership word does NOT end in an "s" sound, add an apostrophe and.
Does this sentence need an apostrophe?
Any time you have "it's" or "its" in your writing, double-check the sentence. If you can say "it is" in its place, then you do need the apostrophe. Don't use an apostrophe unless you mean "it is."
Is it Dennis's or Dennis?
For nouns ending with an unpronounced s, add apostrophe‐s. For singular common nouns ending in s or an s sound followed by words beginning with s, add an apostrophe if the term ends in s; otherwise, add apostrophe‐s. If a company or group name ends with an apostrophe‐s, use as is (don't add or change anything).
Is it Alexis's or Alexis?
According to the Chicago Manual of Style (which folks in my profession refer to as the Bible of Book Publishing), the rule is the same as any other singular possessive. You write her name with possession just like you say it: Alexis's.
Is it Venus's or Venus?
A 1772 edition of Joseph Priestley's The Rudiments of English Grammar, for example, says the possessive “is formed by adding (s) with an apostrophe before it” to a singular noun. Examples include one with a singular noun ending in “s” (“Venus's beauty”).
What are the 2 types of apostrophes?
There are two different kinds of apostrophes: smart and straight.
Do you add an s after the apostrophe?
Use an apostrophe when showing possession When showing possession, add apostrophe “s” ('s) to the “owner” word. If the plural of the word is formed by adding an "s" (for example, cats), place the apostrophe after the "s" (see guideline #3 below).
Which is correct the Smiths or the Smith's?
Only use an apostrophe when you want to make a name possessive. ("From The Smith's" is always wrong, but "The party is at the Smiths' house" is correct.) This gets tricky if the last name ends in the letter "s." To make a last name that ends in "s" plural, add "es" (so Reeves becomes Reeveses).
Why do we put an apostrophe in a sentence?
In that sentence, the verb do is used as a plural noun, and the apostrophe was added because the writer felt that dos was confusing.
How to use apostrophes in a compound noun?
If the compound noun ( e.g., brother-in-law) is to be made plural, form the plural first ( brothers-in-law ), and then use the apostrophe + s. Example: my two brothers-in-law's hats. Rule 4a. If two people possess the same item, put the apostrophe + s after the second name only.
Do you add an apostrophe to every noun?
There is no right answer; the best advice is to choose a formula and stay consistent. Rule 1c. Some writers and editors add only an apostrophe to all nouns ending in s. And some add an apostrophe + s to every proper noun, be it Hastings's or Jones's. One method, common in newspapers and magazines, is to add an apostrophe + s (' s) ...
What does an apostrophe do in writing?
Apostrophes serve two basic functions in writing: to show possession. to indicate that letters have been removed to form a contraction. Learn more about the different ways apostrophes are used with an examination of possessives and contractions at work, including lots of examples.
How to use an apostrophe after a noun?
2. Use an apostrophe after the "s" (s') at the end of a plural noun to show possession. It is not necessary to add another "s" to the end of a possessive plural noun. 3. If a plural noun doesn't end in "s," add an apostrophe + "s" to create the possessive form.
What do you do if a noun doesn't end in "s"?
If a plural noun doesn't end in "s," add an apostrophe + "s" to create the possessive form. Remember, a possessive noun needs an apostrophe and an "s" at the end. If there's already an "s" there, you can just add the apostrophe. If there's no "s," you have to add both — first the apostrophe, and then the "s.".
How to use "s" in a name?
1. Use an apostrophe +"s" ('s) to show that one person/thing owns or is a member of something. Style guides vary when it comes to a name that ends in an "s.". Even if the name ends in "s," it's still correct to add another " 's " to create the possessive form.
Do you need an apostrophe after "s"?
If the word already has an "s," it only needs an apostrophe. If the word does not already have an "s," it needs the apostrophe followed by "s.". However, when to use apostrophe "s" or an apostrophe after "s," can vary by preference for words that end in "s.".
Can you make two owners possessive?
However, if each individual owns separate versions of the same type of item, then you would make both owners possessive . For example, if Dave and Alice both own a separate car, it would be "Alice 's and Dave 's cars. "
Is it hard to master apostrophes?
However, they aren't difficult to master if you can remember a few apostrophe rules. Learn the different apostrophe rules for creating possessives and contractions. possessive and contraction apostrophe rules. Advertisement.
What is an apostrophe used for?
Possessive apostrophes with singular nouns. Apostrophes are used to indicate that something belongs to something or someone else. To indicate possession with a singular noun, add ’s at the end of the word. This also applies to names and other proper nouns. The car’s windscreen is foggy.
When are apostrophes used in writing?
Apostrophes (’) Published on May 31, 2019 by Fiona Middleton. Revised on June 21, 2019. Apostrophes have two main uses: Indicating possession (e.g. The student’s paper) Indicating a contraction (e.g. She’s writing a paper) Contractions should be avoided in academic writing, but possessive apostrophes are used in all types of writing.
What is the most common mistake in apostrophes?
Possessive pronouns vs contractions. One of the most common apostrophe mistakes is confusing possessive pronouns with contractions that look or sound similar. Always pay attention to whether an apostrophe is intended to indicate possession or a contraction, and remember that possessive pronouns don’t take apostrophes.
Can a contractions be avoided in academic writing?
She’s writing a paper) Contractions should be avoided in academic writing, but possessive apostrophes are used in all types of writing. Make sure to use them correctly, especially when dealing with plurals and abbreviations. Use a possessive apostrophe….
When multiple nouns individually own other nouns, do they add an apostrophe?
When multiple nouns individually own other nouns, however, add an apostrophe after all of the owning nouns. The scientist’s and the robot’s abilities were quite different. The freezing of pipelines is both the engineers’ and the operators’ problem.
Do Smiths' houses end with a singular noun?
The two species’ habitats are very different. The same rule applies to proper nouns and singular entities that end with a plural noun. The Smiths’ house is old and creaky. The United States’ military budget is far larger than any other country ’ s. If a plural noun does not end in s, add ’s as you would for a singular noun.
Do you add an apostrophe in a citation?
Note that when you are citing a source, the apostrophe is attached to the author’s name, not to the in-text citation.
What does an apostrophe mean?
Apostrophes can also be used to indicate that the first two digits of a year have been omitted. You’ve probably seen this in cases like “the class of ’ 93,” “the ’ 08 election” and “the Roaring ’ 20s.”
When do you add an apostrophe to a noun?
When a singular noun doesn’t end in S , you just need to add an apostrophe and an S to make it possessive. Examples include “the boy ’ s bike,” “the dog ’ s leash,” and “Bob ’ s house.”. If a singular noun does end in S, you should add an apostrophe and an S to make the word possessive.
Do you need an apostrophe at the end of a noun?
If a noun is plural and ends in S, you only need to add an apostrophe at the end to make it possessive. Examples include “the students ’ tests,” “the girls ’ backpacks,” and “the Morris ’ car.”. In the case of irregular plural nouns that don’t end in S, add an apostrophe and an S to the word to make it possessive.
Why do we use apostrophes in letters?
To avoid confusion, you may occasionally need to use apostrophes to indicate the plural forms of certain letters and expressions that aren't commonly found in the plural — for example: Mind your p's and q's . Nordquist, Richard. "A Guide to Using Apostrophes Correctly.". ...
What is an apostrophe in a sentence?
An apostrophe is a mark of punctuation ( ') used to identify a noun in the possessive case or indicate the omission of one or more letters from a word. The apostrophe has two main jobs in English: to mark contractions and to indicate possession. While that may sound simple enough, many people are baffled by the little squiggle.
How to use apostrophe plus s?
Use an apostrophe plus -s to show the possessive form of a singular noun, even if that singular noun already ends in -s. To form the possessive of singular nouns, add 's , as in Homer's job or the dog's breakfast. Some other examples include: "The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom. ".
How to use apostrophes in a contraction?
How to Use Apostrophes to Make Contractions. Use apostrophes to form contractions, where two or more words are combined to form one, with letters omitted. The apostrophe replaces the omitted letter (s). The classes of words that are most frequently affected by contractions are verbs and pronouns.
What is a possessive of a noun that ends in a letter other than s?
To form the possessive of plural nouns that end in a letter other than s, add 's , as in the women's cars. Other examples include: The women's conference (the conference belonging to the women) The children's toys (the toys belonging to the children)
Can you use an apostrophe without an es?
Don't Use an Apostrophe to Form a Plural. As a general rule, use only an -s (or an -es) without an apostrophe to form the plurals of nouns — including dates, acronyms, and family names: Markets were booming in the 1990s. The tax advantages offered by IRAs make them attractive investments.
What is an apostrophe in a letter?
An apostrophe can be used to replace a letter or letters (e.g., "isn't," "can't"). The new word formed is called a contraction. Contractions are not usually used in formal correspondence. When I was born I was so surprised I didn't talk for a year and a half.
What are the four uses of apostrophes?
Apostrophes have four uses: (1) To show possession. a dog's kennel. our boys' bedroom. (2) To write time expressions. a day's pay. two weeks' holiday. (3) To replace letters in contractions.
Why don't you put an apostrophe on a word?
Don't add an apostrophe to a word just because the word ends with the letter "s." This is a common mistake, and it is a grammatical howler. (In other words, your readers will think you're a bit dim if you keep doing it.)
What goes before the apostrophe?
The basic rules are as follows: The Basic Rules. The apostrophe goes before the "s" for a singular possessor: one dog's kennel. It goes after the "s" for a plural possessor: two dogs' kennel. There are exceptions to these rules, and they are covered below. However, here is a simple 100% rule that works for everything:
Do you use apostrophes to show plurals?
The first thing to say about this topic is that apostrophes are not normally used to show plurals, and lots of your readers will hate it if you use an apostrophe for this purpose. However, that said, there are times when it helps to use an apostrophe to show a plural. For example: There are two i's in skiing.
Do you use apostrophes in skiing?
There are two Is in skiing. You use too many "but"s in your writing. The bottom line is apostrophes can be used in this way and for good reason — the apostrophe version is usually neater and clearer. However, be aware that you run the risk of annoying a high proportion of your readers if you do it.
What is an apostrophe in a noun?
noun (2) Definition of apostrophe (Entry 2 of 2) : the addressing of a usually absent person or a usually personified thing rhetorically Carlyle's "O Liberty, what things are done in thy name!". is an example of apostrophe.
What does an apostrophe mean in a sentence?
: a mark ' used to indicate the omission of letters or figures, the possessive case (as in "John's book"), or the plural of letters or figures (as in "the 1960's") In the contraction "can't," the apostrophe replaces two of the letters in the word "cannot.".
Where does the word "apostrophe" come from?
History and Etymology for apostrophe. borrowed from French & Late Latin; French, borrowed from Late Latin apostrophus, apostrophos "mark placed above a consonant to indicate that a following vowel has been deleted," borrowed from Greek apóstrophos (feminine noun, presumably shortened from the collocation apóstrophos prosōidía, ...
What is an apostrophe in a sentence?
The apostrophe (a-POS-tro-fee) is a single vertical mark (‘) or (’). Learn useful apostrophe rules with example sentences and infographic to help you use this punctuation mark correctly.
What is the function of a mark?
The mark has two main functions: to show that letters have been omitted in a contraction, and to show possession.
Is there an apostrophe for a letter with a single letter?
Sometimes, if a plural with a single letter or symbol looks odd with just a letter “s,” an apostrophe is used. It may also be omitted in these situations, but be consistent.