Two Uses of the Apostrophe
1. Contractions
A contraction is when two words are joined and some letters are replaced by an apostrophe.
| Full form | Contraction |
|---|---|
| I am | I'm |
| you are | you're |
| he is / he has | he's |
| do not | don't |
| cannot | can't |
| they will | they'll |
| it is / it has | it's |
She isn't coming today. (is not → isn't, apostrophe replaces the o)
2. Possession (Possessive Apostrophe)
Use 's to show that something belongs to someone:
the girl's bag → the bag belonging to the girl the dog's lead → the lead belonging to the dog
Plural nouns already ending in -s
Just add ' (no extra s):
the students' books → the books belonging to the students the teachers' room → the room belonging to the teachers
Irregular plurals (not ending in -s)
Add 's normally:
the children's playground, the men's changing room
its vs it's
- it's = it is / it has (contraction): It's raining.
- its = belonging to it (possession, no apostrophe): The cat licked its paw.
No Apostrophe for Plurals
Do NOT add an apostrophe just to make a word plural:
✗ Three cat's sat on the wall. ✓ Three cats sat on the wall.
Real world: notice board and shop signs
Don't park here — it's a no-parking zone. Today's special: chef's soup and children's mini pizza. We've got great deals!
Real world: informal letter / email
I'm really glad you're coming to the party. It's going to be great! We've invited all of Tom's friends. Don't forget to bring your ID — James's house has a security gate.
Practice Problems
Write the contraction: 'They are going to the park.'
Show answer
Add an apostrophe: 'The boys football was on the roof.' (one boy)
Show answer
Choose: 'The dog wagged (its / it's) tail.'