Test Yourself

Apostrophes

[Harbrace 19]

Review

• Introduction: Showing Possession 
• Contractions 
• Forming Some Plurals 

Practice Exercises

• Using Apostrophes, Part I
• Using Apostrophes, Part II

Introduction

Showing Possession [Harbrace 19a] 

• Use apostrophe + s ('s) to form the possessive of all nouns not ending in -s. 

Jane's car
the government's spending habits
the university's football team
the library's books
Marx's articles
Oz's wizard
Alice's Restaurant 



• Use 's to form the possessive of most singular nouns ending in -s. 

James's breakfast 

If the extra syllable sounds awkward, add only the apostrophe. 

Aristophanes' plays 

• Use an apostrophe alone to form the possessive for plural nouns ending in -s. 

universities' football teams
municipalities' budgets
the boys' game
the Joneses' address 

• To show joint possession, the apostrophe or apostrophe + s follows the last noun only. 

mother and father's decision (two people, one decision) 

• To show separate possession, add apostrophes to each noun. 

Bob's and Annette's flights home (two people, two flights) 

Forming Contractions [Harbrace 19b]

Use an apostrophe to show contraction (the omission of certain letters or figures): 

These are some frequently used contractions: 

Some contractions sound like possessive forms. To test for the correct form, read the sentence using the complete subject and verb with the contraction expanded. If the sentence makes sense, the contraction with the apostrophe is the right form.

If the sentence doesn't make sense, the possessive is correct. 

EXAMPLE:
you're - (contraction)
your - (possessive) 

Is this you are room?
(Contraction doesn't fit.) 

Is this your room?
(The possessive fits.) 

Forming Some Plurals [Harbrace 19c] 

Use an apostrophe to form the plural of numbers, symbols, abbreviations, letters, or words used as words.