The dog was chewing on its bone. (Posessive because the bone belongs to the dog. You can also say: his bone)
How to use apostrophes correctly
Welcome to this online training. This lesson will help you revise the rules of using apostrophes.
Some of these rules are quite familiar but some others may be quite new.
Welcome to this online training. This lesson will help you revise the rules of using apostrophes.
Some of these rules are quite familiar but some others may be quite new.
How much do you know about apostrophes?
I'm always using them wrong
I know some rules
I mostly use them correctly but occasionally make mistakes
I know everything about apostrophes!
Apostrophes (') can be confusing even for native speakers of English.
However, they aren't difficult to master if you remember a few rules.
There are two groups of rules for apostrophes:
1) Apostrophes used in contractions
2) Possessive 's
Apostrophes (') can be confusing even for native speakers of English.
However, they aren't difficult to master if you remember a few rules.
There are two groups of rules for apostrophes:
1) Apostrophes used in contractions
2) Possessive 's
APOSTROPHES IN CONTRACTIONS
This is a very simple rule:
When you combine two words (typically a personal pronoun and a verb) to make a contraction, you take some letters out and put an apostrophe instead of the deleted letters.
it + is +not = it isn't
let + us = let's
do + not = don't
does + not = doesn't
did + not = didn't
they + have = they've
are + not = aren't
they + will = they'll
it + is = it's
She+has+got = she's got
He + would+ like =he'd like
I +would + rather = I'd rather
They + had + done = they'd done
You + had + better = you'd better
You can see that usually it's the vowel that is missed out ( is not = isn't) or the beginning of the auxilliary verb (they+had+done = they'd done)
One exception to this rule is the contraction "won't" = "will + not." We didn't just take someting out but also put a new letter in.
Don't confuse this word with "want" which does not have an apostrophe!
If you want to know more about apostrophes, read on. You won't make any more mistakes if you continue this training!
APOSTROPHES IN CONTRACTIONS
This is a very simple rule:
When you combine two words (typically a personal pronoun and a verb) to make a contraction, you take some letters out and put an apostrophe instead of the deleted letters.
it + is +not = it isn't
let + us = let's
do + not = don't
does + not = doesn't
did + not = didn't
they + have = they've
are + not = aren't
they + will = they'll
it + is = it's
She+has+got = she's got
He + would+ like =he'd like
I +would + rather = I'd rather
They + had + done = they'd done
You + had + better = you'd better
You can see that usually it's the vowel that is missed out ( is not = isn't) or the beginning of the auxilliary verb (they+had+done = they'd done)
One exception to this rule is the contraction "won't" = "will + not." We didn't just take someting out but also put a new letter in.
Don't confuse this word with "want" which does not have an apostrophe!
If you want to know more about apostrophes, read on. You won't make any more mistakes if you continue this training!
Tick the contracted forms with correct apostrophes
It's warm.
They'are late
Iv'e finished.
He's got it.
You'd better take a look.
Shed' rather leave now.
They wont help
He does'nt know
She has'nt started
We didn't do it.
We'd love to help.
I do'nt want this.
You shouldnt of done it.
You'd better take a look at this.
APOSTROPHE RULES FOR POSSESSIVES
Let's take a look at the different ways apostrophes are used around possessive words.
Use an apostrophe + S to show that something/someone belongs to someone/something
Michael's book
Lisa's sister
Johnson's report
My mother's purse
The teacher's laptop
Snowflake's ball
My cat's toys
The company's policy
You can see that we use possessive apostrophe + s after a person's or a pet's name and after a noun indicating a person, an animal or an organisation.
NOTE 1: In modern English it is also considered acceptable to use possessive apostrophe +s with inanimate objects in some contexts: the table's legs; his vehicle's side mirror. However, if in doubt, use the phrases "the legs of the table", "the side mirror of his vehicle" instead when talking about inanimate objects)
NOTE 2: If a name ends in s ( Ross, Chris, Charles, Mrs Jones) there are two options to make a possessive form:
We can either add an apostrophe+s at the end: Ross's room, Chris's car, Mrs Jones's house, Dickens' s novels
OR
We can just add the apostrophe but skip the s: Ross' room, Chris' car, Mrs Jones' house, Dickens' novels.
NOTE 3: Some natives speakers of English skip the possessive apostrophe after a name or a noun, especially in announcements, adverts or labels. This is a mistake and is NEVER acceptable, not even in informal English!
WRONG:
Bennys Cafe
Bobs Fish
Doctors Surgery
Mens Toilets
CORRECT:
Benny's Cafe
Bob's Fish
Doctor's Surgery
Men's Toilets
Now let's do some practice!
APOSTROPHE RULES FOR POSSESSIVES
Let's take a look at the different ways apostrophes are used around possessive words.
Use an apostrophe + S to show that something/someone belongs to someone/something
Michael's book
Lisa's sister
Johnson's report
My mother's purse
The teacher's laptop
Snowflake's ball
My cat's toys
The company's policy
You can see that we use possessive apostrophe + s after a person's or a pet's name and after a noun indicating a person, an animal or an organisation.
NOTE 1: In modern English it is also considered acceptable to use possessive apostrophe +s with inanimate objects in some contexts: the table's legs; his vehicle's side mirror. However, if in doubt, use the phrases "the legs of the table", "the side mirror of his vehicle" instead when talking about inanimate objects)
NOTE 2: If a name ends in s ( Ross, Chris, Charles, Mrs Jones) there are two options to make a possessive form:
We can either add an apostrophe+s at the end: Ross's room, Chris's car, Mrs Jones's house, Dickens' s novels
OR
We can just add the apostrophe but skip the s: Ross' room, Chris' car, Mrs Jones' house, Dickens' novels.
NOTE 3: Some natives speakers of English skip the possessive apostrophe after a name or a noun, especially in announcements, adverts or labels. This is a mistake and is NEVER acceptable, not even in informal English!
WRONG:
Bennys Cafe
Bobs Fish
Doctors Surgery
Mens Toilets
CORRECT:
Benny's Cafe
Bob's Fish
Doctor's Surgery
Men's Toilets
Now let's do some practice!
Which one is correct?
Michaels car
Michael's car
Both are correct
Neither is correct
Which one is correct?
Mary home-cooked food
Marys home-cooked food
Both are correct
Neither is correct
Which one is correct?
My dog bowl
My dog's bowl
Both are correct
Neither is correct
Which one is correct?
Tabby blanket
Tabby's blanket
Both are correct
Neither is correct
Which one is correct?
Chris' job
Chris's job
Both are correct
Neither is correct
Which one is correct?
Mr Jones' garage
Mr Jones's garage
Both are correct
Neither is correct
Which one is correct?
The table's legs
The legs of the table
Both are correct
Neither is correct
Which one is correct?
St George Day
St Georges Day
Both are correct
Neither is correct
Which one is correct?
Sainsburys Support Centre
Sainsburys' Support Centre
Both are correct
Neither is correct
APOSTROPHE RULES FOR POSSESSIVE - continued
Using possessive apostrophes at the end of plural nouns seems to cause many problems, even for native speakers of English. However, this is not tricky at all as long as you remember these two rules:
Rule 1: Put an apostrophe AFTER the plural ending "s" at the end of a plural noun to show possession:
My parents' bedroom
The students' results
The teachers' union
The horses' stables
The Smiths' house
It is important to notice the place of the apostrophe to see whether the noun is singular or plural as this changes the meaning of the sentence and the situation.
The teacher's notebooks were on the desk.- In this situation there was one teacher with a few notebooks.
The teachers' notebooks were on the desk. In this situation there were a few teachers.
The farmer knew that the horses' teeth needed to be checked regularly. - In this situation the farmer had a few horses.
The farmer knew that the horse's teeth needed to be checked regularly. - In this situation the farmer had one horse.
Rule 2 Some nouns make irregular plurals: man-men, woman-women, child-children, person - people. For these irregular plurals, add an apostrophe + "s" to create the possessive form.
My children's school
Women's rights
The people's choice
Now let's do some practice!
APOSTROPHE RULES FOR POSSESSIVE - continued
Using possessive apostrophes at the end of plural nouns seems to cause many problems, even for native speakers of English. However, this is not tricky at all as long as you remember these two rules:
Rule 1: Put an apostrophe AFTER the plural ending "s" at the end of a plural noun to show possession:
My parents' bedroom
The students' results
The teachers' union
The horses' stables
The Smiths' house
It is important to notice the place of the apostrophe to see whether the noun is singular or plural as this changes the meaning of the sentence and the situation.
The teacher's notebooks were on the desk.- In this situation there was one teacher with a few notebooks.
The teachers' notebooks were on the desk. In this situation there were a few teachers.
The farmer knew that the horses' teeth needed to be checked regularly. - In this situation the farmer had a few horses.
The farmer knew that the horse's teeth needed to be checked regularly. - In this situation the farmer had one horse.
Rule 2 Some nouns make irregular plurals: man-men, woman-women, child-children, person - people. For these irregular plurals, add an apostrophe + "s" to create the possessive form.
My children's school
Women's rights
The people's choice
Now let's do some practice!
What can we guess from this sentence?
"My teacher's words were an inspiration to me."
The author talks about one teacher.
The author talks about many teachers.
What can we guess from this sentence?
"The students' mistakes made the teacher frustrated."
The author talks about one student.
The author talks about many students.
What can we guess from this sentence?
"Our cats' toys were scattered all over the floor."
The author has one cat
The author has two or more cats
What can we guess from this sentence?
"The dinosaur's remains were discovered here in 1977"
The author talks about one dinosaur
The author talks about a few dinosaurs
What can we guess from this sentence?
"The child's safety is the priority here"
The author talks about one child
The author talks about a few children
What can we guess from this sentence?
"Women's participation in politics has increased"
The author talks about one woman
The author talks about many women
COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID:
It's OR Its?
It's is a contraction standing for It is or sometimes for It has
It's important to use apostrophes correctly.
This is an old website. It's been there for ages!
You need to tidy up and it's got to be done ASAP!
Its is a possessive adjective ( like my, his, her, our, their ) Notice that none of the possessive adjectives has an apostrophe in it.
The table was so old that one of its legs was rotten. (Possessive because the leg belogs to the table)
The hotel raised its rates overnight. (Posessive because the rates belong to the hotel)
COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID:
It's OR Its?
It's is a contraction standing for It is or sometimes for It has
It's important to use apostrophes correctly.
This is an old website. It's been there for ages!
You need to tidy up and it's got to be done ASAP!
Its is a possessive adjective ( like my, his, her, our, their ) Notice that none of the possessive adjectives has an apostrophe in it.
The dog was chewing on its bone. (Posessive because the bone belongs to the dog. You can also say: his bone)
The table was so old that one of its legs was rotten. (Possessive because the leg belogs to the table)
The hotel raised its rates overnight. (Posessive because the rates belong to the hotel)
Choose the sentence with the apostrophe used correctly
It's so nice to see you!
Its so nice to see you!
Choose the sentence with the apostrophe used correctly
He doesn’t think its a good idea to spend all his money on video games.
He doesn’t think it’s a good idea to spend all his money on video games.
Choose the sentence with the apostrophe used correctly
A car is no good without its wheels.
A car is no good without it's wheels.
Choose the sentence with the apostrophe used correctly
It’s been a year since the last time they met.
Its been a year since the last time they met.
Choose the sentence with the apostrophe used correctly
The computer looked as though it’s power supply had failed.
The computer looked as though its power supply had failed.
Choose the sentence with the apostrophe used correctly
She can't find her phone but she thinks it's in her car.
She can't find her phone but she thinks its in her car.
Choose the sentence with the apostrophe used correctly
The car needed it's brakes repaired.
The car needed its brakes repaired.
Choose the sentence with the apostrophe used correctly
The shop changes it's rules.
The shop changed its rules.
COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID:
Your OR You're ?
Their OR They're?
These rules are exactly the same as the difference between it's and its difference:
You're is a contraction = you + are
They're is a contraction = they + are
You're right!
I know that you're all very smart and hard-working.
You're going to pass your exam with flying colous.
They're wrong!
I think they're just lazy.
They're are going to realise how wrong they were.
Your and Their are possessive adjectives ( like his, her, my, its, our)
Your parents want the best for you.
I've spoken to your teacher.
The students will share their knowledge and experience.
The teachers will base their marks on many different criteria.
COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID:
Your OR You're ?
Their OR They're?
These rules are exactly the same as the difference between it's and its difference:
You're is a contraction = you + are
They're is a contraction = they + are
You're right!
I know that you're all very smart and hard-working.
You're going to pass your exam with flying colous.
They're wrong!
I think they're just lazy.
They're are going to realise how wrong they were.
Your and Their are possessive adjectives ( like his, her, my, its, our)
Your parents want the best for you.
I've spoken to your teacher.
The students will share their knowledge and experience.
The teachers will base their marks on many different criteria.
Select the correct word. Mind the capital or lower case letters.
___________ learning about apostrophes today.
Select the correct word. Mind the capital or lower-case letters.
I need ________help.
Select the correct word. Mind the capital or lower-case letters.
__________knowledge is important to us.
Select the correct word. Mind the capital or lower-case letters.
Do you know that _________expected to talk for 5 minutes?
Select the correct word. Mind the capital or lower-case letters.
I'm getting tired of __________ nonsense!
Select the correct word. Mind the capital or lower-case letters.
I think I'm right and _____________wrong.
Select the correct word
_________going to regret this!
Select the correct word
___________________results were spectacular.
COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID:
Don't use an apostrophe in plural noun endings!
This is a common mistake that many native speakers of English make. You can sometimes spot it in announcements, adverts, handwritten labels. However, it is NEVER acceptable, not even in informal English.
Regular plural nouns are formed by adding the ending s.
No apostrophe is needed
CORRECT: The students saw some notebooks, pens and pencils on the desks.
WRONG: The student's saw some notebook's, pen's and pencil's on the desk's.
COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID:
Don't use an apostrophe in plural noun endings!
This is a common mistake that many native speakers of English make. You can sometimes spot it in announcements, adverts, handwritten labels. However, it is NEVER acceptable, not even in informal English.
Regular plural nouns are formed by adding the ending s.
No apostrophe is needed
CORRECT: The students saw some notebooks, pens and pencils on the desks.
WRONG: The student's saw some notebook's, pen's and pencil's on the desk's.
Tick the announcements that are CORRECT:
All apples, bananas and oranges sold at 30 p each
Teas and Coffees
Our cafe serves chip's, sausage's and roll's.
Check out our pizza's, pasta's, appetizer's, soup's, salad's, and lunch special's!
All the eggs are delivered fresh from the farms!
We sell the original shepherd's pies.
Kid's eat free!
1 hour photos available here!
For toilet's go downstairs
Hot and cold drinks, ice-creams and sandwiches.
Final Task! This text does not have any apostrophes. Copy it into the window below, insert the apostrophes only where necessary and then submit. You'll see the correct answers on the next slide.
Robert and Lisa Smith have two beautiful children. Amy is nine and Ross is seven. The Smiths house has two floors. The childrens rooms are upstairs, and the parents bedroom is downstairs. Lisas room is always clean while Ross room is always messy. The Smiths lives are very busy this week. Ross sports teams all have games. Amys ballet class has a recital and Roberts car is in Mr Jones garage because of a problem with its brakes. So, the Smiths are trying to get everything done with only Lisas car. Today, theyve been to school, practice, rehearsal, Bennys grocery store and this isnt the end of it! They also took the puppy to the veterinarians office because its ear got infected. Theyll be busy until late tonight and, tomorrow, theyll do it all again.
adapted from https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/punctuation/apostrophe-rules.html
Here's the correct version.
Notice the absence of apostrophes in some places.
Robert and Lisa Smith have two beautiful children. Amy is nine and Ross is seven. The Smiths' house has two floors. The children's rooms are upstairs, and the parents' bedroom is downstairs. Lisa's room is always clean while Ross' ( OR Ross's) room is always messy. The Smiths' lives are very busy this week. Ross' ( OR Ross's) sports teams all have games. Amy's ballet class has a recital and Robert's car is in Mr Jones' ( OR Mr Jones's) garage because of a problem with its brakes. So, the Smiths are trying to get everything done with only Lisa's car. Today, they've been to school, practice, rehearsal, Benny's grocery store, and this isn't the end of it! They also took the puppy to the veterinarian's office because its ear got infected. They'll be busy until late tonight and, tomorrow, they'll do it all again.
Here's the correct version.
Notice the absence of apostrophes in some places.
Robert and Lisa Smith have two beautiful children. Amy is nine and Ross is seven. The Smiths' house has two floors. The children's rooms are upstairs, and the parents' bedroom is downstairs. Lisa's room is always clean while Ross' ( OR Ross's) room is always messy. The Smiths' lives are very busy this week. Ross' ( OR Ross's) sports teams all have games. Amy's ballet class has a recital and Robert's car is in Mr Jones' ( OR Mr Jones's) garage because of a problem with its brakes. So, the Smiths are trying to get everything done with only Lisa's car. Today, they've been to school, practice, rehearsal, Benny's grocery store, and this isn't the end of it! They also took the puppy to the veterinarian's office because its ear got infected. They'll be busy until late tonight and, tomorrow, they'll do it all again.
Rate this training on how easy you found it. 1 too easy. 10 - extremely challenging.
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