Apostrophe
An apostrophe is a punctuation mark used on many occasions in English. Its meaning is dependent on the context it is used in.
What Is an Apostrophe?
An apostrophe is a punctuation mark (') used in many cases. It can have different meanings based on the context it has been used.
When Do We Use Apostrophe?
An apostrophe can be used in different cases such as:
- to replace missing letters
- to show possessive nouns
- to make plural letters
Replacing Missing Letters
While making contracted forms we usually delete some letters. The letter can only be one letter or it can be more than one letter. In both ways, we use only one apostrophe in the place of missing letters. Here are a few examples:
This is
In this example, the long form is 'is not' but we have contracted it by omitting the letter 'O' and replace it with an apostrophe to create 'isn't'
We ca
In this example, apostrophe replaces two letters because we omitted 'no' and used an apostrophe instead.
In the
Here by '60 we mean 1960
Showing Possessive Nouns
When the owner of something is a noun we can usually use an apostrophe plus an s to show possession. Here are the examples:
Sarah
The manager
If there is a plural or a singular noun ending in -s or -es at the end of a noun you should use only an apostrophe to show the possession or owner of a thing. Here are the examples:
The school
All bride
Showing Possession
Sometimes there is a need to use plural numbers, letters, interjections, abbreviations, or conjunctions; however, they are not used with the same intention. In this case, we use an apostrophe. Here are a few examples:
There are too many
There were lots of
When Not to Use an Apostrophe
Remember not to use 's when you are using possessive pronouns.
❌It was her
❌This is his'
Tip
Use 's for irregular plural possessive nouns. Such as:
Their feet
It's or Its
It's is the contracted form for it is because it has an apostrophe but its is a possessive determiner. Here are the examples:
Review
Mostly, we use the punctuation (') (also known as apostrophe) in three major situations:
- to show possession
- to show contraction
- to use unusual plural letters, numbers, etc.