Apostrophes

Apostrophes look like this:

• cat’s
• Dave’s

They are an important English punctuation mark. This lesson shows you how to use apostrophes correctly. You can find the tests at the bottom of the page.

Let’s get started.

Apostrophe Uses

Apostrophes have two main uses:

1. Contractions
2. Possession

 

Contractions

The apostrophe is used to join two words together to make one word. Here are some common examples:

• do not = don’t
• I am = I’m
• has not = hasn’t

The apostrophe takes the place of the missing letter. For example, in “don’t”, the apostrophe takes the place of the “o” that is gone from “not”.

Here are some more examples of contractions:

• have not = haven’t
• is not = isn’t
• she is = she’s

Contractions are very common in spoken English. They are used in writing to be shorter.

Possession

Apostrophes are used with nouns to show possession. Here are the rules:

Single Nouns
Add apostrophe and “s”.

• The dog’s bowl
• The boy’s hat

Plural Nouns
Add an apostrophe.

• The girls’ toys
• The computers’ screens

Irregular Plural Nouns
Add an apostrophe and “s”.

• The children’s toys
• The women’s hats

Plural
Add an apostrophe.

• The Davis’ home
  (Tom and Mary Davis, 2 people)

More than 1 Noun
The apostrophe goes on the last name in a group that shares possession.

• Jon and Bob’s house
  (They both possess the house)

Apostrophe Tests

Are you ready to check your understanding? Try these tests:

Apostrophes Test

Apostrophes Test 2