Rules of Apostrophe Usage
Learn When to Use an Apostrophe
Many writers misuse the apostrophe, at least on occasion, perhaps because they are unsure of the rules that govern usage of this particular punctuation mark. The rules of usage, however, are not that difficult to learn; and as is the case with all conventions of the English language, when writers take the time to learn what is correct and what isn’t, it reflects positively upon the overall quality of their writing, regardless of its genre.
The apostrophe is used primarily to indicate omission of words and numbers, to form certain plurals, and to indicate ownership.
Omission of Letters and Numbers
Use an apostrophe to indicate the omission of letters in contractions:
- Cannot = Can’t.
- He will = He’ll.
- She would = She’d.
- Could not = Couldn’t.
- Did not = Didn’t.
- Let us = Let’s.
- There are = There’re.
- It is = It’s.
Use an apostrophe to indicate the omission of letters in phrases:
- Of the clock = o’clock.
- Jack of the Lantern = Jack O’ Lantern.
Use an apostrophe to indicate the omission of numbers:
- The class of 1965 = the class of ’65.
- World War II ended in 1945 = World War II ended in ’45.
Use an apostrophe to indicate the omission of letters in quoted dialogue:
- Tom called, “I’ve been sittin’ here on this sofa and waitin’ for you to bring me a beer for a long, long time now.”
- Sue yelled back, “Tom, I’m washin’ my hair, so you can just keep on waitin’ ‘til you-know-what freezes over.”
Forming Plurals
Use the apostrophe to form the plural of letters, numbers, and symbols:
- One M = two M’s
- One 7 = two 7’s
- One $ = two $’s
- One & = two &’s
Note: It has become acceptable to form the plurals of letters without using the apostrophe unless omission of the apostrophe creates a word, as is the case with “A” and “I,” since omitting the apostrophe creates “As” and “Is.”
Indicating Ownership
Add the ‘s to singular nouns:
- That 4,000-page, single-spaced manuscript is Tom’s latest novel.
- Tom said he read an interesting article in today’s paper.
- The horse’s mane is long and silky.
- The girl’s coat is quite threadbare.
Add the ‘s to acronyms:
- NATO’s aim is world peace.
- Tom wondered when the NFL’s new season would begin.
Add the ‘s to plural nouns that do not end in “s”:
- Sue went to the women’s room.
- Tom put his dirty sneakers in the children’s bedroom closet.
Add only the apostrophe to plural nouns that end in “s”:
- The horses’ manes are long and silky.
- The girls’ coats are quite threadbare.
Add the ‘s to indefinite pronouns:
- Tom stole someone’s idea for a story, although he won’t admit it.
- Tom denies that he stole anyone’s idea for a story.
Note: Indefinite pronouns are pronouns that do not identify or designate a specific person or thing, for example, someone, anyone, somebody, anybody, everyone, everybody, anything, everything, etc.
In cases of joint ownership, add the ‘s to the last noun in the series:
- The red Toyota is Sue and Tom’s car.
If the item is not jointly owned, however, each noun takes the ‘s:
- The red Toyota and the blue Nissan are Sue’s and Tom’s cars respectively.
Add the ‘s to the last word in a compound noun:
- Tom mistakenly went to the Secretary of Labor’s office to file for unemployment.
- Tom thought his mother-in-law’s cooking was atrocious.
Do not add the ‘s to possessive pronouns since they already indicate ownership:
- That coat is hers.
- Tom is working on his latest novel.
- The dog is in its house.
- Sue told Tom, “The date of Helen and Sue’s anniversary is the same as ours.”
- Tom said, “I thought theirs was June 13.”
If a name ends in “s,” the apostrophe usually goes after the “s” when showing ownership.
- That is the Smiths’ house.
- Sue said that she loved Keats’ poetry.
However, with a name that ends in “s,” if another syllable is created when the name is pronounced, the ‘s is necessary:
- Tom said that James’s editorial advice was lousy.
- Sue told Renee that Russ’s marriage was over.
The rules of apostrophe usage might seem complicated, but they really aren’t; and learning them will be well worth any writer’s time.
Rules of Apostrophe Usage
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