Writing Help: The Use of Apostrophe

Guidelines to Understanding Possession and Pluralisation

Oct 6, 2008 Kalyani Candade

There is no one rule for the use of the Apostrophe. That's the catch - and the beauty - of this funny, versatile little hook.

In fact, the confusion around the Apostrophe arises simply because it is used in so many ways. Understanding the basics will help you master its use – and marvel at the English language.

Possession : The Apostrophe Belongs

Use the above phrase as a mnemonic to remember one of the most important uses of the Apostrophe – possession.

  • Usage in Proper Nouns and Singular Common Nouns
    • I am John's friend.
    • The boy's shirt was torn.

In the case of proper nouns like ‘John’, and singular common nouns like 'boy', the Apostrophe is followed by an 's', leading to the often-used term, 'apostrophe s'

  • Usage in Plural Common Nouns
    • The boys' shirts were torn.
    • The children's class was disrupted.

When the plural is formed by taking an ‘s’, as in ‘boys’, the Apostrophe is used after the ‘s’. When the plural is formed differently, without an 's', as in 'children', the Apostrophe is followed by an 's'.

  • Usage in Possessive Nouns

The Apostrophe is not used in possessive nouns like his, hers, yours, theirs, mine, its, since the possession is already built in to the noun. It would therefore be wrong, for example, to say, "Who's book is this?" The correct usage here would be "Whose book is this?".

Contraction : The Apostrophe Shortens

Use this second descriptive phrase as a mnemonic to remember another important use of the Apostrophe: as a symbol to show that a letter has been dropped in contraced spelling. Examples of this would be:

  • It's a great day today! ( It is a great day today!)
  • Don't tell me you're going away again? (Do not tell me you are going away again?)
  • Couldn't you have helped him? ( Could you not have helped him? Here, could you not is contracted to a shortened version of could not you.

Pluralisation : The Apostrophe is Single

Quite simply, the Apostrophe is not used in Pluralisation. The mnemonic to remember here is : The Apostrophe is single. One of the commonest errors in the use of the Apostrophe is using it to create a plural, as in “ Could you tell all the student’s that tomorrow is a holiday?” Or “ I have passed on your details to my colleague’s.”The confusion probably arises because both possession and pluralisation use the addition of 's'.

So, remember.

  1. The Apostrophe belongs.
  2. The Apostrophe shortens.
  3. The Apostrophe is single.

Memorise these simple memory tags and apply them whenever you have a doubt. It will make you writing that much surer and clearer.

Related Reading

If you found this interesting, you might want to want to read Ten Tips to Get Your Writing Published and Writing Tips: using Its and It's

You might also want to read more about grammar in THE BLUE BOOK OF GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION.

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Comments

Sep 18, 2009 2:40 PM
Heather Marie Kosur :
Apostrophes also indicate a relationship, not just posession (which is in itself a type of relationship.) For example, in "my husband's mother," my husband does not own his mother (nor do I own him); instead, the possessive clitic "'s" indicates a relationship---familial in this case---between my husband and his mother.
Sep 25, 2009 11:39 PM
Kalyani Candade :

Sure, Heather, but if you look at the larger meaning of possession, in the context of belonging, then relationship is also covered.
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