GRAMMAR REVIEW: USING APOSTROPHES
1. POSSESSION
A. Singular nouns
Add 's to show possession.
the girl's book
the dog's leash
James's car (both James's and James' are accepted, style-dependent)
B. PLURAL NOUNS NOT ENDING IN 'S'
Add 's.
children's toys
men's room
women's rights
C. PLURAL NOUNS ENDING IN 'S'
Add only the apostrophe after the s.
the teachers' lounge
the families' cars
the players' uniforms
2. CONTRACTIONS
Use an apostrophe to show omitted letters.
don't (do not)
she's (she is / she has)
can't (cannot)
they're (they are)
3. APOSTROPHES FOR TIME OR QUANTITY (POSSESSIVE MEANING)
Used when time/quantity acts like a possessive.
a day's work
two weeks' notice
a dollar's worth
4. DO NOT USE APOSTROPHES TO FORM THE PLURAL FORM OF NOUNS
Incorrect: Apple's for sale
Correct: Apples for sale
Incorrect: CD's, 1990's
Correct: CDs, 1990s
Remember to check out our other free advanced English punctuation exercises:
Abbreviations 1
Capitalization 1
Capitalization 2
Punctuation: Comma or semicolon? 1
Comma, semicolon, or colon? 1
