An apostrophe (‘) is a punctuation mark used by possessive nouns, possessive indefinite pronouns, and contractions. The apostrophe is a useful punctuation mark, but it is often omitted or misplaced in both writing and speech. In this article, you’ll learn how to use an apostrophe in different contexts.
Using an Apostrophe With Possessive Nouns
A possessive noun utilizes the apostrophe to show possession, ownership, or the general relationship between two nouns. To create the possessive version of a singular noun, simply add an apostrophe followed by an “s” at the end of the word.
Example: Mike’s ball flew over the fence.
In the example above, you can tell that the ball belongs to (or is the possession of) Mike. Now if you want to create the possessive form of a noun that already ends with an “s”, you have one of two options.
Example: The Jones’ new car is a BMW.
Example: The Jones’s new car is a BMW.
In the examples above both possessive forms are correct, you can choose to add an apostrophe and an “s” or only an apostrophe in these instances.
However, when you’re creating the possessive form of a plural noun that already ends with an “s”, you should add an apostrophe to make it possessive.
Example: The girls’ treehouse looks dazzling.
If your plural noun doesn’t end with an “s”, to create its plural form you’ll need to add an apostrophe followed by an “s”.
Example: The women’s support group meets every Tuesday.
Possessive Indefinite Pronoun
An indefinite pronoun does not specifically identify what it is referring to. These include everyone (everybody), someone (somebody), no one (nobody), and anyone (anybody). So, when you’re trying to create the possessive form of such a noun, simply add an apostrophe followed by an “s”.
Example: That girl is somebody’s daughter.
Example: John song beautifully, to everybody’s surprise.
To create the possessive form of non-indefinite pronouns, simply don’t use an apostrophe.
Example: Whose bike is on my lawn?
Example: All the money raised in the fundraiser is theirs.
Apostrophes in Contractions
A contraction is a single word made up of two words that have been combined by omitting one or more letters. Contractions are informal and often used in speech. Therefore, you can use them in writing (such as blogs) to create a less formal tone. An apostrophe in a contraction replaces one or more letter(s).
Example: We’re ready for the conference.
In the example above, “we are” becomes “we’re” through contraction.
Example: She can’t leave her baby on the streets.
In the example above, “cannot” becomes “can’t” through contraction.
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