Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation
Apostrophes
Use an apostrophe for a missing letter and for belonging.
One small mark, two completely separate jobs. An apostrophe either stands in for letters you have left out, or shows that something belongs to somebody. Nothing else. It never makes a word plural.
Job one: missing letters
The apostrophe sits exactly where the letters were. Has not becomes hasn't, because the o of not has gone. He is becomes he's. Could have becomes could've.
Job two: belonging
For one owner, add 's — the painter's brush. For more than one owner already ending in s, put the apostrophe after that s — the farmers' fields. For an irregular plural like women, treat it as a single word — the women's team.
Watch out: its and it's
It's always means "it is". Belonging uses its, with no apostrophe — the tree lost its leaves. This one catches adults too.
Worked example
Where does the apostrophe go in "the shoes belonging to the two dancers"?
Find the owner word: dancers.
The apostrophe always attaches to the owner, never to the thing owned.
Try it together
Let us punctuate three phrases together.
Each one has exactly one owner word. Find it first, then decide where the apostrophe lands.
1.One teacher owns a desk. Write the two words: the ____ desk
Have a go
The nests belong to several birds. Which is correct?
Ready to practise?
Eight questions on what you have just read. Nothing is timed, and you can play as many times as you like.