Apostrophes
The apostrophe is a common punctuation mark whose use is sometimes problematic for a lot of students. The apostrophe is mostly omitted or misplaced, which could be confusing and frowned upon in formal writing.
Rules Governing the Use of Apostrophes
Apostrophe Rule 1: Use an apostrophe to form a contraction.
| ……. | ……. |
The list above exemplifies common contractions used frequently in informal speech and writing. Contractions should be avoided in formal writing. The apostrophe takes the place of the omitted letter.
Apostrophe Rule 2: Use an apostrophe to show ownership or possession.
Examples
Each of the italicized words above represents the owner. The apostrophe is a shortcut. Instead of saying “The assignment belongs to Stephen,” we can write “Stephen’s assignment.”
To show ownership or possession:
Add ’s if the word representing the owner is singular.
Add just the apostrophe if the word representing the owner is plural.
Add just the apostrophe to proper names if the word representing the possession begins with –s.
Examples