An apostrophe (‘) is one of the punctuation marks which is used for two basic purposes.

For example,

1. It is used to show possession

2. It is used to show the omission

Now, I will provide a few examples. Read them to know about the above purposes.

Use Apostrophe to show Possession

As you know that possession is used to refer the state of owning something, it means that apostrophes are used to show someone’s possession about something.

For example,

• This is, actually, John’s ball that you are holding.

In the above example, you can see that an apostrophe with an –s has been put just after the name John, which shows possession. It means that the ball belongs to John. He is the one who is the owner of that ball.

More examples:

1. The girl’s play area was so beautifully arranged.

2. I have borrowed my sister’s drawing pencils.

3. I saw a terrible accident of Leo’s car.

Rules to Follow for Forming Possessives

1. You have to add an –s after the apostrophe. For example, girl’s room, John’s laptop, sister’s bag, monkey’s face, group’s work, children’s place, etc.

2. If there is a joint possession, remember to add an –s at the end of the last word. For example, uncle and aunt’s place, John and my sister’s wedding function, Leo, Twain and Jamie’s home, etc.

3. If a plural noun already ends in –s, then you do not need to add another –s. In this case, remember to add an apostrophe just after –s. For example, girls’ bedroom, learners’ notebooks, monkeys’ food, kids’ wear, etc.

Check Out: What Is An Antecedent?

Use Apostrophe to show Omission

Omission means that something is excluded. It means that you can use apostrophes when letters are excluded or omitted from words.

For example,

• I don’t have any problem if you want to stay here.

In the above example, you can see an apostrophe in ‘don’t’. Don’t is the short form for ‘do not’.

More examples:

1. He’ll not join us tonight because he’s not feeling well.

2. Please! Avoid going outside; it’s so hot.

3. He didn’t write this for you.

Rules to Follow for Omission

In this case, find out that place where the letters are omitted; that will be the place to add an apostrophe.

For example,
1. Do not > don’t
2. Should not > shouldn’t
3. Did not > didn’t
4. Cannot > can’t
5. Would not > wouldn’t
6. Will not > won’t
7. She would , she had > she’d
8. I am > I’m

Common Mistakes with Apostrophes

Apostrophes are often misused, especially in these two common areas:

• Using Apostrophes for Plurals: Apostrophes should not be used to form plurals.
  Error: “The cat’s are playing outside.”
  Correction: “The cats are playing outside.” (No apostrophe needed)
• Its vs. It’s:
  Its is a possessive pronoun (e.g., “The dog wagged its tail”).
  It’s is a contraction for “it is” or “it has” (e.g., “It’s raining today”). Confusing these two is a frequent mistake.

Style Guide Differences in Apostrophe Usage

Different style guides have varied rules for apostrophe use, particularly with singular nouns ending in “s”:

• AP Style: Recommends adding just an apostrophe without an additional “s” (e.g., “Chris’ book”).
• Chicago Manual of Style: Suggests adding an ‘s for singular nouns ending in “s” (e.g., “Chris’s book”).
• British vs. American English: British English often omits the extra “s” for proper names ending in “s,” while American English tends to add it depending on the style guide followed.

What Did You Learn?

Apostrophe is a punctuation mark (‘) which is used to show possession or to show the omission of letters.