Apostrophes are a type of punctuation used in writing to indicate either possession or the omission of letters or numbers. There are two main types of apostrophes: possessive apostrophes and contraction apostrophes.
Possessive Apostrophes
A possessive apostrophe is used to show ownership or belonging. For singular nouns, an apostrophe is placed before the “s” to make the noun possessive:
- The cat’s toy (the toy belongs to the cat)
- The writer’s desk (the desk belongs to the writer)
For plural nouns ending in “s”, the apostrophe comes after the “s”:
- The cats’ toys (the toys belong to the cats)
- The writers’ office (the office belongs to the writers)
Possessive apostrophes are also used for indefinite pronouns like “one”, “anyone”, “someone”, etc:
- One’s beliefs
- Someone’s wallet
Rules for Possessive Apostrophes
Here are some key rules for using possessive apostrophes correctly:
- Singular nouns ending in “s” still take an apostrophe + “s” for possession: the boss’s office
- Plural nouns not ending in “s” take an apostrophe + “s” for possession: the children’s toys
- Compound nouns show possession on the last word: my sister-in-law’s car
- Names ending in “s” can take just an apostrophe for possession: Dickens’ novels
Contraction Apostrophes
Contraction apostrophes are used to show where letters have been omitted from two words that have been shortened into one contraction:
| Full words | Contraction |
|---|---|
| Do not | Don’t |
| They are | They’re |
| Let us | Let’s |
As you can see in the examples above, the apostrophe goes where the omitted letter(s) would normally go.
Common Contraction Apostrophes
Here are some of the most frequently used contractions that require apostrophes:
- I’m (I am)
- You’re (you are)
- She’s (she is/she has)
- He’s (he is/he has)
- It’s (it is/it has)
- We’re (we are)
- They’re (they are)
- I’ll (I will)
- You’ll (you will)
- He’ll (he will)
- She’ll (she will)
- It’ll (it will)
- We’ll (we will)
- They’ll (they will)
- I’d (I would)
- You’d (you would)
- He’d (he would)
- She’d (she would)
- We’d (we would)
- They’d (they would)
- Let’s (let us)
- Who’s (who is/who has)
Differences Between Possessive and Contraction Apostrophes
Although they look identical, there are some key differences between possessive apostrophes and contraction apostrophes:
| Possessive Apostrophe | Contraction Apostrophe |
|---|---|
| Used for possession | Used for omitted letters |
| Added to the end of words | Replaces omitted letters |
| Does not change pronunciation | Changes pronunciation |
| Indicates ownership | Joins two words together |
As you can see, the key difference is that a possessive apostrophe shows ownership while a contraction apostrophe shows omitted letters. Also, contractions are pronounced differently than the original two words.
Common Apostrophe Errors
Here are some of the most common apostrophe errors to avoid:
- Using an apostrophe to form plurals of regular nouns: “CD’s” (incorrect) vs. “CDs” (correct)
- Using an apostrophe in possessive pronouns: “her’s” (incorrect) vs. “hers” (correct)
- Leaving out an apostrophe in contractions: “cant” (incorrect) vs. “can’t” (correct)
- Putting an apostrophe in “its” for possession: “the dog it’s bowl” (incorrect) vs. “the dog its bowl” (correct)
- Putting apostrophes in possessive pronouns: “hi’s” (incorrect) vs. “his” (correct)
Always remember that apostrophes should only be used for possession and contractions, not plurals.
Conclusion
The two types of apostrophes serve very distinct purposes. Possessive apostrophes indicate ownership while contraction apostrophes show omitted letters and join words. While they look the same, their usage is quite different. Keeping their uses straight will help you use apostrophes correctly in your writing.