The Mighty Apostrophe!

The apostrophe has only a handful of uses, but these uses are very important. A misplaced apostrophe can be annoying.

The apostrophe is used to :
1. to create possessives
2. to show contractions
3. to create some plural forms


The apostrophe is used to create possessive forms for singular and plural nouns, especially nouns referring to people.
Examples: the mayor’s car, my father’s moustache

When a noun already ends in “s,” you can decide whether or not to use another “s” after the apostrophe.
Example: Charles’s car OR Charles’ car

With multisyllabic words, don’t add another “s” after the apostrophe.
Example: Dumas’ second novel, Jesus’ birth,
Socrates’ ideas, Illinois’ legislature

To form the possessive of an inanimate object, we’re usually better off using an “of phrase,” but the apostrophe possessive is not impossible, especially with expressions of time and in personifications.
Example: the smell of the crowd

To form the possessive of a plural noun, we pluralize first and then add the apostrophe.
Example: The Kennedys’ house
Notice that with an irregular plural, the apostrophe will come before the “s.”
Example: The children’s playhouse

A contraction allows us to blend sounds by omitting letters from a verb construction. The apostrophe shows where something is left out.
Example: I am a student here = I’m a student here.

REMINDER: It’s is a contraction for “it is”; the possessive of it = its (no apostrophe).

The apostrophe is also used to form the plural of digits and letters and to indicate omission of a number in a date

The mighty apostrophe doesn’t mind being used, but it wants to be used wisely.
Use it well and it will be there whenever you need it!