Apostrophes

Apostrophes

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Possessives

Apostrophes are used to signify possession for regular and irregular nouns.

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Singular Possession

Goes before the s:

• 'The cat's tail was white.'

• 'Today's news is bleak.'

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Plural Possession

Goes after the s:

• 'The cats' home' (refers to the home of multiple cats)

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Special Case: "Its"

Watch for "its" where the possession doesn't have an apostrophe!

• "It's" = "It is" (contraction)

• "Its" = possession (like "his" or "her")

Examples:

• Correct: "Its walls were made of carved alabaster."

• Incorrect: "It's walls were made of carved alabaster." (means "It is walls...")

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Words Ending in 's'

For words ending in 's' (e.g. Jones, Jesus):

• General rule: Add apostrophe + s

• Exception: If the next word begins with 's', you can just use an apostrophe

Examples:

• Jones's trainers

• Jones' sandals

• Jesus's teachings (or Jesus' if it sounds awkward)

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Plurals

As a general rule, never use an apostrophe in writing plural forms.

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Exceptions for Clarity

An apostrophe is essential when pluralising forms that would become unrecognisable:

• 'Mind your p's and q's.'

• 'How many s's are there in Mississippi?'

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Abbreviations

Generally no apostrophe needed:

• DVDs (not DVD's)

Exception: If the abbreviation ends with an S:

• SOS's is correct (not SOSs)