Apostrophes - How and when to use them.

What is an apostrophe?

- It looks like a comma (') but we place it above the line of writing.
- It takes up the space of a letter.
- It is used for various reasons.
















Why do we use them?

- To show who owns what (possesion).
e.g. This is Jane's cat.

- To fill in for missing letters (contractions).
e.g. She's gone to the cinema with her friends.

Contractions

- When two words are joined together in shorter form.
- The apostrophe takes the place of the missing letter(s).
e.g. I am - I'm
They are - They're
Do not - Don't

 

 

 

 

Didn't anybody proof read this before it went to print?  Oh! The shame.

Be careful!

Don't confuse:

 its and it's.
 - its (possessive - its edges were sharp)
 - it's (it is or it has)

whose and who's
- Whose book is this?
- Who's coming to dinner?













Many people put an apostrophe when they just need to add an s to make it plural.
e.g. PC's, 1940's, CD's.

An apostrophe is ONLY used to show possession or to show that you have missed out some letters.

A few seconds wasted to insert a redundant spostrophe.  *sigh*