Apostrophes

There are two reasons to use apostrophes: when creating contractions (such as: don't, can't, you're) and when making a noun possessive (such as: Julio's dog or the store's advertisements).

Although many people use apostrophes when they are creating a plural (such as "two dog's") that usage is not correct. An apostrophe on a noun indicates possession.

It's also important to remember that while possessive nouns have apostrophes, possessive pronouns do NOT have appostrophes (For example: his, hers, theirs, yours, its are all possessive pronouns - NO appostrophes!  Think about it, you'd never write hi's to show that something belongs to him, so don't write it's to show that something belongs to it).

Apostrophes in contractions

A contraction is a word that combines two words into a shorter combination.  The apostrophe is typically placed where letters from the original words are missing.

Original+Original=Contraction
do+not=don't
can+not=can't
will+not=won't
you+are=you're
we+are=we're
it+is=it's
they+are=they're
     
     
     

Apostrophes in possessives

Turn a singular noun into a possessive by adding "'s," and turn a plural noun into a possessive by adding an apostrophe after the existing s at the end of the word. 

SingularSingular possesive/PluralPlural possessive
 Ralph walked a dog.Ralph picked up a dog's poo./Ralph walked 6 dogs.Ralph picked up 6 dogs' poo.
She painted the house.She painted the house's door./She painted 2 houses.She painted 2 houses' doors.
Ava fixed a car.Ava fixed Jason's car. /Ava fixed their car.Ava fixed the Smiths' car.
     

Possessive pronouns do NOT have apostrophes

 

We have a whole set of possessive pronouns, and NONE of them have apostrophes.  If you are trying to show that something belongs to someone, but you're using a pronoun, never use an apostrophe. 

PronounPossesive pronounFrequently confused with:
Imy/mine 
youyour/yoursNOT "you're"! You're means "you are"
sheher/hers 
hehis 
ititsNOT "it's"! It's means "it is"
weour/ours 
theytheir/theirsNOT "they're"! They're means "they are"

Pay careful attention when working with your/you're, its/it's, and their/they're.  These are homonyms and can be confusing.  But remember: the possessive pronouns DO NOT have apostrophes.  If you see an apostrophe, it's a contraction.  Try it out to see if the contraction works.  If not, then you don't want the word with the apostrophe, you want the other one.

Example 1:

The dog could not stop scratching it's back because it had a bad flea bite.

  1. NO CHANGE
  2. its
  3. their
  4. its'

The word in the sentence has an apostrophe, so it means "it is."  Try reading the sentence with "it is" in place of the underlined word. It doesn't work.  You want the possessive: its (B).

 

Example 2:

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, which has dozens of docents in a score of different parts of the museum on any given day, gives its volunteers many hours of formal training before they are allowed to begin.

  1. NO CHANGE
  2. volunteer's
  3. volunteers'
  4. volunteers's

The possessive in this sentence is "its." The word volunteers is just a plural (no possessive or contraction) so it does not need an apostrophe (A).

 

Correct all of the apostrophe errors in the PDF below to practice your skills at identifying possessives and contractions. 

Practice Problems:

  • Apostrophes Practice

    Add apostrophes where they are needed.  Take out unneeded or incorrect apostrophes.

    1. The dog licked it's paws.
    2. Dog's are so gross!
    3. It's hard for me to even imagine where that dog's been.
    4. It cant have been any place thats too clean!
    5. But, its impossible to teach a dog not to lick its paws.
    6. Dogs have been licking dogs paws for age's.
    7. I would never lick a dogs paws, so dont even ask me to.
    8. What's strange is that cat's clean their paw's by licking.
    9. Why doesnt it gros's me out when I see a cat lick its paw's?
    10. If youre a dog, don't lick you'r paws; its gross.

    Answer Key:

  • Apostrophes Practice

    Add needed apostrophes.  Delete unnecessary apostrophes.

    1. The computer has a virus and its deleting its own files!
    2. That nice lady has donated three of her many cats cages for us to use for our adoption fair.
    3. You'r shoes are the the best part of you'r outfit.
    4. The pencils are his and the pens are her's.
    5. Its a terrible thing when its too difficult to tell if a child is struggling to learn or faking it. 
    6. Mollys cookies are the best and its very hard not to eat them all. 
    7. Jaime's six cousin's car's are all parked in front of my house. 
    8. I dont understand why its so hard for Donnas' children to be quiet at bed time. 
    9. All of the flowers' pollen in the air is making my allergies' act up.
    10. The tattoo artists' work is very easy to identify and the police say that its helped them identify several suspects.

    Answer Key:

Test Prep Practice

  • Apostrophes Test Prep

    When a suspect is arrested he or she is read $\boxed 1$ hi's Miranda Rights. We all know these rights from movies and TV, "You have the right to remain silent.  You have the right to an attorney. If you can't afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you..." A $\boxed 2$ suspects rights are paramount, even when the $\boxed 3$police's evidence against that suspect is quite strong.

    As a suspect is indicted, he or she moves through the criminal justice system that suspect will work with and face several types of attorneys.  $\boxed 4$Prosecutor's are the attorneys who advocate for the states' agenda.  They try to convince $\boxed 5$judge's and juries to convict a suspect.

    $\boxed 6$Defenders' are the attorneys who work for the suspect, trying to convince a jury that a $\boxed 7$suspect's innocent or at least had mitigating circumstances. When $\boxed 8$suspect's lack sufficient funds to pay for an attorney, they can work with a public defender, who are paid by the government but work on behalf of $\boxed 9$suspects'.

     

    $\boxed {10}$Prosecutor's jobs are to try to obtain a conviction. $\boxed {11}$Defender's jobs are to advocate for the suspect. $\boxed {12}$ Judges and juries' jobs are to listen to both $\boxed {13}$ attorney's statements and evidence and make a fair and impartial decision regarding a $\boxed {14}$suspects innocence or guilt. 

     

    1.

    1. NO CHANGE
    2. his
    3. his's
    4. he's

    2. 

    1. NO CHANGE
    2. suspect's
    3. suspects'
    4. suspect is

    3. 

    1. NO CHANGE
    2. police is
    3. polices's
    4. polices

    4. 

    1. NO CHANGE
    2. Prosecutors'
    3. Prosecutors
    4. Prosectors's

    5. 

    1. NO CHANGE
    2. judge is
    3. judges'
    4. judges

    6. 

    1. NO CHANGE
    2. Defender's
    3. Defenders
    4. Defending attorney's

    7. 

    1. NO CHANGE
    2. suspects
    3. suspects'
    4. suspectses

    8. 

    1. NO CHANGE
    2. suspects
    3. suspects'
    4. suspectses

    9. 

    1. NO CHANGE
    2. suspects
    3. suspects'
    4. suspectses

    10.

    1. NO CHANGE
    2. Prosecutors
    3. Prosecutors'
    4. Prosecutors have the

    11. 

    1. NO CHANGE
    2. Defenders'
    3. Defenders
    4. Defending lawyers are the ones whose
    12.
    1. NO CHANGE
    2. Judge's
    3. Judges'
    4. Judgers
    13.
    1. NO CHANGE
    2. attorneys
    3. attornies
    4. attorneys'
    14.
    1. NO CHANGE
    2. suspect's
    3. suspects'
    4. suspectses

    Answer Key:

Skill: