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Apostrophe

What Is an Apostrophe?

An apostrophe is a type of punctuation mark that helps indicate possession, the omission of certain letters or numbers, and some plural forms.

Possessive of a Singular Noun

To form the possessive of a singular noun, add an apostrophe and an s to the word.

Examples:

I have to drop off the food at my mother’s house.
When he hit the ball, the player ’s bat split in half.
Zoe admired her friend ’s flower garden.
The sun ‘s heat quickly warmed up the swimming pool.
David ’s bike needs to have its tires inflated.

Possessive of a Plural Noun Ending in s or es

To form the possessive of a plural noun ending in s or es, add an apostrophe after the final s in the word.

Examples:

Both of the two hostesses’ dinner parties were a great success.
Julian borrowed his parents’ car to drive to school.
The musicians’ sheet music blew away during the outdoor concert.
Our puppies’ food bowls need to be filled.
The cherries’ pits should be removed before we make the pie.

Possessive of a Plural Noun Not Ending in s or es

To form the possessive of a plural noun that does not end in s or es, add an apostrophe and an s to the word.

Examples:

Could you pick up the children’s toys?
The mice’s nests are full of babies.
Some people’s vacations are relaxing, but hers are usually adventurous.
The women’s volleyball team is playing tomorrow night.
We saw three moose’s tracks on the trail.

Possessive of Pronouns

To form the possessive of an indefinite pronoun, add an apostrophe and an s to the word.

Examples:

I try to remember everyone’s birthday.
Brandon found someone’s backpack in the library.
Anybody’s friends are welcome to join us at the party.
The fact that we were late wasn’t anyone’s fault.
No one’s car would start after the temperature dropped to -20°F.

Do not add an apostrophe to plural possessive pronouns.

Examples:

The blue Toyota is theirs.
The homework on the table is hers.
The house’s spacious, open design is its best quality.

Omissions in Contractions

Place an apostrophe where letters are omitted in contractions.

Examples:

I’m going to take a nap.
Daisy can’t make it to the game today.
Eve and Nick said they’re going to help us move.
It’s going to rain today.
They’ll call you tomorrow to schedule an appointment.

In Dates

Place an apostrophe where numbers are omitted in dates, but do not place an apostrophe before the s in the plurals of dates.

Examples:

I graduated in ’08.
In ’04, we moved into our new house.
Fashion was very different in the ’80s than it is now.
In the ’30s, the country was in the midst of the Great Depression.
The tech industry had a major effect on the economy in the 1990s.

Plural Forms

Add an apostrophe and an s after the plural forms of lower-case. Add an s, but not an apostrophe, to the plural forms of upper-case letters.

Examples:

Mississippi has four s‘s and four i‘s.
Phillip spells his name with two l’s instead of one.
Be sure to dot your i’s and cross your t‘s.
Gabriel just learned his ABC s.
My financial advisor suggested that I look into IRA s.

Check out our free, printable Apostrophe Worksheets!