apostrophe

Everyday

1. An apostrophe is a punctuation mark (') used to show that letters are missing in a shortened word: «don't» means «do not». tree →
2. An apostrophe also shows that something belongs to someone: «Sam's bag». tree →
3. (literature, formal) An apostrophe is also when a speaker in a poem talks directly to someone absent or a thing, like «O Moon!». tree →

In the lessons

In English lessons pupils learn apostrophes for contraction («can't», «it's», «I'm») and for possession («the dog's bone», one dog; «the dogs' bones», more than one dog; «the children's toys»). A common mistake is the «greengrocer's apostrophe», putting an apostrophe in an ordinary plural, like «apple's for sale». Teachers often check «its» and «it's».

Examples

• «Don't» has an apostrophe where the «o» is missing. tree →
• This is Mia's coat. tree →
• The girls' changing room is on the left. tree →
• «It's» means «it is»; «its» means «belonging to it». tree →
• Do not use an apostrophe to make a plural: «bananas», not «banana's». tree →
• «The children's paintings» uses «'s» because «children» is already plural. tree →
• «Who's» means «who is». tree →

Note

Plural «apostrophes»; «an apostrophe». Say «a-POS-truh-fee». Biggest traps: «its» (no apostrophe) means belonging to it; «it's» means «it is» or «it has». Plurals do not take an apostrophe unless showing possession. For a plural ending in «s», put the apostrophe after the «s»: «the teachers' room».