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Are you leaving
something out?

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Is ownership involved?
 

 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 

 
 
 

Pronouns - the big exception!

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

Try these steps:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Punctuation Part 3
Contents

Part 1

 

Part 2

 

Part 3

THE APOSTROPHE ( ' )
APOSTROPHE OF CONTRACTION EXERCISES
APOSTROPHE OF POSSESSION EXERCISES

Many people have trouble using apostrophes correctly. Here are some rules, tips and practice exercises.

THE APOSTROPHE

A. The apostrophe is used to show that letters have been left out. These are called contractions.

Examples:

can't for cannot

didn't for did not

it's for it is or it has

won't for will not

B. The apostrophe is also used to show possession (or ownership) in the following ways:

If the thing/person that owns something is singular, add 's
Examples:
The girl's books (the books belonging to the girl)
Mary's lamb (the lamb belonging to Mary)
The princess's robes (the robes belonging to the princess)

If the thing/person that owns something is plural and already ends with an "s", simply add an apostrophe.
Examples:
The girls' books (the books belonging to the girls)
The princesses' crowns (the crowns belonging to the princesses)

If the thing/person that owns something is plural but does not end in an "s", add 's
Examples:
The women's club (the club belonging to the women)
The men's shirts (the shirts belonging to the men)

Note: Pronouns do not have an apostrophe to show ownership:


yours


hers


ours


theirs


its

Example: The cat scratched its fleas.

AN APOSTROPHE OF POSSESSION TIP

A useful method of knowing where to put the apostrophe of ownership is to follow these steps:

1. Ask: " Who is the owner?"

2. Put the apostrophe after the owner

3. Add "s" if it sounds correct.

This is especially useful when plural words do not end in "s".

Examples:

The lions den (one lion)

1. Who is the owner of the den?

The lion

2. Put the apostrophe after the owner.

The lion'

3. Add "s" if it sounds correct. (It does)

The lion's den

The lions den (more than one lion)

1. Who owns the den?

The lions

2. Put the apostrophe after the owner.

The lions'

3. Add "s" if it sounds correct (lions's doesn't sound correct)

The lions' den

The womens dresses

1. Who owns the dresses?

The women

2. Put the apostrophe after the owner/s.

The women'

3. Add "s" if it sounds correct (It does)

The women's dresses

APOSTROPHE OF CONTRACTION EXERCISES

ACTIVITY

Try this quiz to match full forms of some common expressions with their contracted form.

 


APOSTROPHE OF POSSESSION EXERCISES

ACTIVITY

1. Where does the apostrophe of possession belong in the following sentences?

a) The dogs dinner (the dinner belonging to one dog)

b) The dogs dinner (the dinner belonging to more than one dog)

c) The cats whiskers (the whiskers belonging to one cat)

d) The cats whiskers (the whiskers belonging to more than one cat)

e) The girls father (the father of more than one girl)

f) The girls father (the father of one girl)

g) The cars brakes (the brakes of one car)

h) The cars brakes (the brakes of more than one car)
 

2. Now try this multiple choice quiz!

This guide developed by Pam Timms, North Coast Institute.
© TAFE NSW, North Coast Institute. Some artwork this page © Microsoft Corporation