There are only 3 main uses for the apostrophe, but using it correctly is a confusing task. This article describes proper uses and inappropriate uses, to help people improve their writing.
The beloved apostrophe is intended to do three main things: show possession, show omission, and form plurals in rare and special cases.
Number one purpose of the apostrophe: apostrophes are excellent indicators of possession. There is an example of this at the beginning of this award. If I want to say I own the shoes while my husband pays the bill, he would call them Angela’s shoes and Joe’s Manolo Blahnik bill.
In most cases, the apostrophe is placed right after the name of the person, place, or thing (also known as a noun) that owns it, and before the “s” indicating possession. Since the English language can describe various types of possession with glorious profusion, here are some helpful tips for common possession scenarios:
Your word already ends in “s”. Don’t add another ‘s’! Just let the apostrophe hang there at the end of the word. For example: the bridles of the horses, a party at the Edwards house.
Two nouns have one thing. Give the apostrophe to the last noun. For example: Joe and Angela’s herb garden.
Two nouns have two things. Give each noun an apostrophe. For example: Jenny and Jessie’s dresses.
You use a pronoun that possesses something. Please do not add an apostrophe. Just leave him alone. For example: We gave the cat his injections; the idea was yours
Second use of the apostrophe: apostrophes show where letters have been removed in a word or words. This is the easiest part to remember: if you’ve lost letters, put an apostrophe where the letters should have been! For example: Cannot becomes can’t; Four o’clock becomes four o’clock; 2007 becomes ’07.
Third use of the apostrophe: in some rare, very special cases, the apostrophe can show a plural. Use an apostrophe if you are talking about plurals of numbers or letters. For example: 1990; doctorates.
You can also add an apostrophe if you are using words as words, where omitting an apostrophe could cause confusion. For example: rules are a list of do’s and don’ts (if there wasn’t an apostrophe after “do”, people might confuse it with the acronym for DOS disk operating system).
Other uses of the apostrophe: apostrophes can also be used as a symbol to measure in feet. Also, the apostrophe can be used to indicate a quote within a quote. For example: She said, “The pastor told me, ‘Jesus wasn’t white,’ and she surprised me!”
Understanding the proper rules for using the apostrophe will add a level of professionalism to your communications. Proper punctuation is a must for all writers. Am I still confused? Pearl Writing Services is a freelance writing business that can polish your writing and make your communications stand out.
