Summary

The web content provides guidance on the correct use of apostrophes in English grammar, emphasizing their use for indicating possession and replacing missing letters in contractions.

Abstract

The article titled "How to Use Apostrophes Correctly" explains that apostrophes serve two primary functions: to denote possession and to form contractions by replacing missing letters. It clarifies that contractions can be formed from two words or a single word, and that the apostrophe's placement can vary, sometimes appearing at the beginning or in the middle of a word. The article also addresses the distinction between singular and plural possessives, noting that an apostrophe followed by an 's' is used for singular possessives, while plural possessives may require only an apostrophe. Additionally, the piece discusses exceptions to apostrophe rules, such as their use in pluralizing certain terms like single capital letters or numbers, and provides advice on ensuring clarity for the reader. A video is also offered for those who prefer visual learning, and the author invites readers to connect for further inspiration.

Opinions

The author suggests that understanding the two main purposes of the apostrophe simplifies its correct usage.
There is an opinion that the use of an apostrophe for pluralizing single capital letters enhances clarity, although it is not always necessary.
The article implies that the choice between using an apostrophe to indicate plurality, especially with numbers, should be based on what provides the most clarity to the reader.
The author indicates a preference for using an apostrophe to pluralize groups of capital letters, despite acknowledging that it is less common and can sometimes cause confusion.
The author emphasizes the importance of using the correct apostrophe character, likening it to a comma at the top of the line, and warns that some readers will notice if the wrong character is used.
The author expresses a desire to connect with readers by offering a subscription to inspirational messages, suggesting a belief in the value of ongoing communication and motivation.

Grammar Tip

How to Use Apostrophes Correctly

The apostrophe has two purposes. When you understand them, it’s easy to use this punctuation mark correctly.

Photo by Jerry D. Clement; text added by Jacquelyn Lynn

Do you prefer to watch a video rather than read? Scroll down to see the video.

An apostrophe is that punctuation mark that looks like a comma but it’s at the top of the line, not the bottom.

The apostrophe has two purposes:

1. To show possession.

2. To replace missing letters in a word.

When you use apostrophes to indicate missing letters, it’s usually in a contraction. In the context of grammar, a contraction is when you combine and shorten two words to make one.

For example, the contraction of does not is doesn’t. The contraction of they will is they’ll.

There are times when you’ll make a contraction out of a single word, such as when cannot becomes can’t.

Sometimes the apostrophe comes at the front of the word, such as ’tis for it is.

Occasionally — and it’s usually in dialog — you’ll see writers use an apostrophe to replace one or more letters in a word that’s not a contraction to indicate that the speaker has dropped the sound.

If you’re leaving letters out for any reason, replace them with an apostrophe.

The apostrophe’s other purpose — to indicate possession — is fairly simple to do correctly most of the time.

When you want to indicate that something belongs to someone or something else, add an apostrophe and an S.

For example, Mary’s house shows you that the house belongs to Mary.

Or apartment’s kitchen indicates the kitchen is in or belongs to the apartment.

Some people get tripped up with the difference between plural and possessive. If you’re making a singular noun plural, you add an S but no apostrophe. If you want to show possession with either a singular or plural noun, you must have an apostrophe.

For more on this, check out my article on making proper nouns plural and possessive.

How to Make Proper Nouns Plural and Possessive

The difference between plural and possessive proper nouns — and how to always do it right.

medium.com

Of course, we’re talking about English and in English, there are almost always exceptions to the rules — or sometimes there are two rules and you can choose the one you prefer.

So having said that an apostrophe’s purpose is to either show possession or to indicate missing letters, I need to also say that there are times when you may use an apostrophe to indicate that something is plural. This is often the writer’s preference.

For example, most writers use an apostrophe when they are pluralizing single capital letters. So if you’re talking about your child’s report card, you might write:

Taylor earned two A’s, two B’s, and one C.

If you didn’t use an apostrophe, your meaning might not be clear.

When you are pluralizing groups of capital letters, apostrophes are less necessary, but some writers still use them. And they could create additional confusion. For example, VIPs is clear that you’re talking about multiple VIPs. But if you write VIP’s, it would take the context of the sentence to figure out if you’re talking about more than one VIP or something that belongs to one VIP.

When it comes to making numbers written as digits plural, most writers consider the apostrophe unnecessary, but you still occasionally see it. Both are correct. Make your choice based on what is likely to provide more clarity for your reader.

One final note on apostrophes. Remember that they are supposed to look like commas at the top of the line. When you’re typing an apostrophe at the beginning of a word, you’ll probably have to go through some extra steps to make it an apostrophe and not an opening single quotation mark, which looks like an inverted comma. It’s a small detail, but there are readers who will notice the difference.

Watch the video:

This article was originally published on my site at https://createteachinspire.com/use-apostrophes-correctly

You can reach me there or email me at [email protected]

I’d love to connect with you! May I send a brief inspirational message every Saturday morning? Visit CreateTeachInspire.com/saturday to receive messages like these:

Photos by Jerry D. Clement; text added by Jacquelyn Lynn