Why do you put an apostrophe before the S?

Putting an apostrophe before the letter “s” has several purposes in the English language. The main reasons are:

Table of Contents

To Form Possessives

One of the most common uses of the apostrophe is to form possessives. To show that a noun owns or possesses something, you add ‘s to the end of the word. For example:

The dog’s bone (the bone belonging to the dog)
The students’ teacher (the teacher belonging to the students)
The company’s policy (the policy belonging to the company)

When the noun already ends in s, you still add the apostrophe s. For example:

The bus’s route (the route belonging to the bus)
The boss’s office (the office belonging to the boss)

For plural nouns ending in s, you can choose to add just the apostrophe after the s. Both of these are correct:

The dogs’ toys
The dogs’s toys

Just be consistent within the same document.

To Form Contractions

Another very common use of the apostrophe is to create contractions – shortened versions of two words. The apostrophe shows where letters have been omitted. For example:

It’s = it is or it has

Don’t = do not
Can’t = cannot
I’m = I am

You’re = you are

Contractions are very common in speaking and informal writing. But be careful not to overuse contractions in formal or academic writing.

To Show Plurals of Letters, Numbers and Symbols

When referring to plural numbers, letters, or symbols, place the apostrophe before the s to show the plural form. For example:

Dot your i’s and cross your t’s.
The recipe calls for 2 tbsp’s of oil.
My name has 3 a’s in it.

This prevents confusion between plural forms and other uses of letters and symbols.

To Show Decades

When referring to a decade as a noun, the apostrophe indicates the omission of the first two digits of a year. For example:

I grew up in the 80’s.

The 20’s were known as the Roaring Twenties.
My favorite music is from the 60’s and 70’s.

This allows us to refer to decades in a shortened way.

Common Mistakes

Here are some common mistakes involving misuse of apostrophes:

Using ‘s to form plurals of regular nouns – INCORRECT: The apple’s are ripe.
Leaving out apostrophes in contractions – INCORRECT: Theyre going to the mall.

Putting apostrophes in pronouns like his, hers, yours, etc. – INCORRECT: This book is your’s.
Putting apostrophes in plural acronyms – INCORRECT: I got all A’s and B’s this year.

So in summary, the main uses of the apostrophe before s are for possessives, contractions, plurals of letters/numbers, and decades. Follow these basic rules, avoid the common errors, and you’ll be all set!

When Not to Use the Apostrophe

Here are some cases when you should NOT use an apostrophe:

Plural nouns – just add s. INCORRECT: The book’s. CORRECT: The books.
Possessive pronouns like his, hers, yours, theirs, ours. INCORRECT: This house is her’s. CORRECT: This house is hers.

Plural acronyms or initialisms. INCORRECT: She got all A’s and B’s. CORRECT: She got all As and Bs.
With the verb “its” to show possession. INCORRECT: The company wants it’s employees to work weekends. CORRECT: The company wants its employees to work weekends.

It’s easy to mistakenly add unnecessary apostrophes in these cases. Always double check that you are using your apostrophes correctly.

Special Cases

There are a few special cases when to use apostrophes:

Joint possession – Use an apostrophe on the last noun to show joint possession. Example: Mackenzie and Jordan’s room.
Individual possession – Use apostrophes on both nouns if they each own something individually. Example: Mackenzie’s and Jordan’s backpacks.

Compounds – For compound words, the apostrophe comes at the end. Example: My sister-in-law’s car.
Groups as one unit – Consider groups as one singular unit. Example: The faculty’s guidelines.

These special cases illustrate that the rules for apostrophe use can be adapted for different situations.

Historical Background

To understand why we use apostrophes today, it helps to know a little bit of the history behind them:

Apostrophes first appeared in English in the 16th century in the spelling of possessive singular nouns.
They were not used for plural possessives (like dogs’ collars) until the late 18th century.

Apostrophes for omitted letters in contractions came later in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The use of apostrophes increased in the 19th century as writing expanded to more social classes.
However, apostrophes have been used inconsistently even from their earliest days.

While apostrophes can sometimes be tricky, overall they bring more clarity than confusion to the language once you learn the basic rules.

Apostrophe Usage in Other Languages

The apostrophe is primarily used in English and other Roman-alphabet based languages, but not all languages use it. Here is a quick comparison of how some other languages handle possession:

Language	Possessive Form	Example
French	Use “de” + noun	the cat of Marie = le chat de Marie
Spanish	Noun + “de” + noun	Marie’s cat = el gato de Marie
German	Noun in genitive case	Marie’s cat = Marias Katze
Russian	Noun + possessive adjective	Marie’s cat = Мариин кот
Japanese	No possessive form	Marie’s cat = マリーの猫 (Mari no neko)

So while not universal, the apostrophe fills an important role in expressing possession in English in a simple and efficient manner.

Style Guide Differences

There are some minor differences in apostrophe use between style guides:

AP Style generally removes apostrophes for possessive plurals like employees’ benefits. Chicago Style keeps them.
AP Style uses apostrophes for bachelor’s degree and master’s degree. Chicago Style omits them.

Chicago Style prefers 1960s over 1960’s for decades without apostrophes.

However, the fundamental uses of apostrophes remain consistent. Know which style guide is preferred for your particular writing context.

Conclusion

While apostrophes can sometimes create confusion, in most cases they serve an important purpose in English:

They allow us to show possession in a simple way.
They let us create contractions that reflect informal spoken language.
They help clarify plurals of numbers, letters, and symbols.

They indicate omitted numbers when referring to decades.

Once you learn the basic rules – like omitting apostrophes in regular plurals and pronouns – using apostrophes correctly becomes second nature. So don’t let those tiny punctuation marks intimidate you! With a little practice, you’ll be an apostrophe expert in no time.

Key Points to Remember

Use ‘s to form possessives for singular nouns, even those ending in s already

Add just ‘ for plurals ending in s, or ‘s (be consistent)
Use ‘ to form contractions like can’t, won’t, etc.
Put ‘ before s to make plurals of letters, numbers, symbols

Decades get ‘ to omit first two digits (1980s = ’80s)
Don’t use ‘s to make regular plural nouns
Don’t use ‘ with possessive pronouns like hers, yours, theirs

Omit ‘ with plural acronyms (no A’s or B’s)

Follow these tips and you’ll have the apostrophe rules down pat in no time!