Apostrophes 's, s, but

Using Apostrophes Correctly

And Other Related Issues

Apostrophes

•    Apostrophes are the most confusing of all punctuation marks

•    They have a number of uses:

•   Showing possession (Singular, plural, and joint) 

•   Indicating omissions

•   Forming some plurals

•    Some of the uses seem contradictory

•   All are confusing

Showing Singular Possession

•    Add ’s to make most single nouns possessive

•   A day’s pay          Les’s presentation

•   Harry’s vomit       Bridget Jones’s Diary

•    Exception: Add only ’ to words that already end in s if pronunciation would be difficult with ’s

•   Socrates’ philosophy

•   ’ laws

Showing Plural Possession

•    Add only ’ to show possession for plural nouns ending in s

•   the instructors’ meagre salaries

•   17 students’ marks

•   Three weeks’ pay

•    Add ’s for words that don’t use s to form plurals

•   The children’s boots are wet

•   We have two men’s rooms in the building

Showing Joint Possession

•    Joint possession indicates that two or more people share something

•    The apostrophe should be added to the last item in the series

•   Bob and Carol’s bed

•    Exception: Add the apostrophe to both items to show individual possession

•   Ted’s and Alice’s underwear

Rules for Compound Nouns

•    Hyphenated nouns add to the confusion

•    Show possession by adding ’s at the end of the word

•   The governor-general’s car

•   My brother-in-law’s boat

•    But: To form the plurals of hyphenated nouns, add s only to the first word

•   Governors-general from four countries

•   Brothers-in-law and their wives

Forming Contractions

•    Contractions are frequently used in speaking and informal writing

•    When in doubt, write the words out in full without using a contraction

•    Apostrophes are used to show where letters or numbers have been left out

•   Do not = don’t   

•   The flood of ’97

•   Should have = should’ve      (not “should of”)

•   It is = it’s          (Memorize this rule)

Forming Plurals

•    Add ’s to form the plurals of numbers, letters, symbols, and abbreviations

•   A sale on VCR’s

•   I got two A’s

•   His 5’s look like S’s 

•   I use many @’s with e-mail

•    Note: Some guides recommend not using apostrophes to show plurals in abbreviations and numbers

•   VCRs            5s             1920s

•   Choose one rule or the other and follow it consistently

Using Pronouns to Show Possession

•    Personal pronouns do not use apostrophes to show possession

•   We refer to his boat, not he’s boat

•    None of these pronouns uses an apostrophe:

•   His, hers, ours, yours, theirs, whose, its

•   Note: It’s = it is                  It’s a nice day

•   A chicken lays eggs in its nest.

•    Indefinite pronouns use ’s to show possession in the same way as nouns

•   Someone’s car        each other’s work

•   Anybody’s guess     no-one’s fault

Trouble Spots

•    Don’t use apostrophes to form the plurals of names

XCome to a party with the ’s

üHave a visit with the Osbournes

•    On a related note, don’t change y to ies when forming plurals of names ending in y

XPictures of the Kennedies

XGossip about the Kennedy’s

üScandals involving the Kennedys

More Trouble Spots

Ø  Don’t use apostrophes to make nouns plural

XCustomer’s will be served on the terrace

üCustomers will be served in the bar

Ø  Remember that it’s means it is

XEvery dog has it’s day

üEvery dog has its day

üIt’s about time this presentation ended

Practise Exercise

•    Here’s a link to an interactive practise exercise

•   http://xnet.rrc.mb.ca/leshanson/Hot_Potato/apostrophe.htm