Ten Tips for Using Apostrophes
- When forming contractions, replace the removed letters with an apostrophe.
For example:
“I have not got time to meet with you this week.”
becomes
“I haven’t got time to meet with you this week.”
Don’t forget the apostrophes in the irregular formations ‘shan’t’ and ‘won’t’ (short for ‘shall not’ and ‘will not’).
- Use an apostrophe followed by the letter ‘s’ to indicate singular possession including when the noun ends in ‘s’.
For example:
“Last week I took Sally’s dog for a walk.”
“I’d love to visit St James’s Park.”
- When indicating a plural possession, turn the noun into a plural first and then follow with an apostrophe.
Only add a further ‘s’ if the plural of the noun doesn’t already end in ‘s’.
For example:
“Let’s meet at my parents’ house.”
“The children’s table is in the far corner of the room.”
- Use an apostrophe to indicate when the possession that is supposed to follow is implied.
For example:
“I forgot my jacket at my boyfriend’s.”
“Don’t use that mug, it’s my housemate’s.”
“I’m staying at my parents’.”
- If two or more people share ownership of the same item, add an apostrophe and ‘s’ after the final name only.
For example:
“We’re going to my aunt and uncle’s house.”
- If two or more people have separate ownership of similar items, add an apostrophe and ‘s’ after both names.
For example:
“The teacher requested a meeting to talk about Oscar’s and Meredith’s falling grades.”
- With compound nouns, only use an apostrophe and ‘s’ at the end of the word. In the case of a plural, form the plural before adding the apostrophe and ‘s’.
For example:
“We’re having dinner at my mother-in-law’s house.”
“My brothers-in-law’s speeches were very moving.”
- Use the possessive case when a ‘–ing’ word serves as a noun.
For example:
“Mr Smith’s teaching was less than adequate.”
“George’s singing was delightful to listen to.”
- NEVER use an apostrophe with possessive pronouns: his, hers, its, theirs, ours, yours, whose.
But remember that the contractions for ‘it is’ and ‘who is’ are ‘it’s’ and ‘who’s’.
For example:
“It’s fun to watch a dog chase after its ball.”
- Plurals are NEVER formed with apostrophes, not even in the case of capital letters and numbers.
For example:
“I personally know the CEOs of three different companies.”
“If I had a time machine, I would travel back to the 1950s.”
However do still use apostrophes to indicate possession:
“My PA’s office is next door to mine.”
“It is very important to vote in 2014’s local elections.”
“I adore 1950s’ fashion.”
(It’s worth noting here that the rules of grammar are always evolving depending on usage, and in America (but not so much in Britain) the plural apostrophe is becoming increasingly tolerated.)
We hope you’ve found these tips helpful. Do get in touch if you have any questions – you’re definitely not alone if you find using apostrophes confusing.
Have a good week!
Avani Shah
19 May 2014
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