Apostrophes are small and barely noticeable punctuation marks, but without them the reader would have a difficult time deciphering what is happening in a story. They help to clarify information for the reader.
Of course, one cannot use apostrophes willy-nilly throughout a work of literature. Below, I will explain a few common mistakes people make when using them.
Apostrophes and Plurals
I cringe every time I see people on social media using an apostrophe to form the plural of most of their words. Just because you give it an s after the apostrophe does not mean that it becomes a plural word.
Incorrect: The student’s are coming in from recess.
Correct: The students are coming in from recess.
This is also true with numerals.
Incorrect: My grandfather was born in the 1940’s.
Correct: My grandfather was born in the 1940s.
Apostrophes with Possessives
An apostrophe is a punctuation mark that is used to show ownership of something. If you add an apostrophe and an s at the end of a singular word, you are making it a possessive.
Example: I borrowed my friend’s pencil.
If the word is already a plural word that ends in s, the apostrophe should come after the s to make the word become a possessive.
Incorrect: The teacher collected the student’s books.
Correct: The teacher collected the students’ books.
If the plural of the word does not end in s, add an apostrophe and an s.
Example: The mother washed the children’s school clothes.
Possessive pronouns are a special case. They do not require an apostrophe at all. Examples of this are its, yours, hers, and theirs.
One specific example of a possessive pronoun that if often confused with a contraction is its versus it’s. Its is the possessive word, but it’s stands for the phrase it is.
Plurals vs. Possessives
Plurals and possessives can be confusing when you are referring to items belonging to multiple people or things.
Dogs’ toys: Multiple toys belonging to multiple dogs
Dog’s toys: Multiple toys belonging to one dog
Contractions
Apostrophes are also used to show a letter that has been omitted, as in a contraction. A contraction is when two words are joined together. We often do this to make a sentence flow more smoothly. If you are like me, you were taught in school that contractions do not belong in formal writing. Because if this, it was a hard transition for me to make when it came to writing books. Contractions are, in fact, allowed to be used. I know. Crazy!
The most well-known example is you’re, which is short for you are. This is frequently confused with your, which is a possessive pronoun and therefore, does not need an apostrophe.
Another example that is used quite often but that people do not understand is should’ve, would’ve and could’ve. The ve stands for have. You might be surprised at how many people think that it’s actually should of, would of, and could of. Not so!
Apostrophes with Names
When applying possessive apostrophes to a proper name, there is varying guidance. If the name does not end with an s, you simply add an apostrophe and an s.
Example: Ken’s book
When the name ends with an s, you can either add an apostrophe and then an s or simply add an apostrophe.
Example 1: James’s book
Example 2: James’ book
If you are not using apostrophes in the correct manner, your readers will become confused and frustrated. Effective writers proofread and revise multiple times to ensure they are following the rules of grammar.
Heather Malone writes children’s books that focus mainly on Montessori education, special education, and nonfiction. She also dabbles in fiction. Her nonfiction book, Montessori from A to Z, was published in 2023, and her blog on homeschooling students with disabilities using the Montessori method can be viewed at spedmontessorisolutions.com. Her passion is education, which is evidenced by spending over twenty-five years in the field before leaving the classroom to now provide technical assistance to school districts. She lives with her husband and son in Ohio and enjoys traveling to new places in her free time.
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