The Possessive Apostrophe

The Possessive Apostrophe The Possessive Apostrophe The Possessive Apostrophe By Daniel Scocco Its time to talk about being possessive. Sometimes possessiveness is good, sometimes its bad. However you look at it, if youre speaking English, then you will need an apostrophe to show who owns what. The apostrophe () is one of the most used and misused English punctuation marks. No one is ever quite sure where to put it. You can use it when things are left out (contractions), but its the possessiveness that causes the most trouble. The apostrophe is all about making a statement of ownership. You belong to me. This belongs to that. In grammar speak, the apostrophe shows the possessive of nouns. There are four ways to use the apostrophe to show ownership or belonging. 1. Add apostrophe s to the end of a singular noun that does not end in s: the managers room 2. Add apostrophe s to the end of a singular noun, even if it ends in s (this practice may vary in some places): Doriss scarf 3. Add apostrophe s to the end of a plural noun that doesnt end in s the childrens bag 4. If the plural noun ends in s, just add the apostrophe my friends car Notice that possessive pronouns like yours, his, hers, ours, its and theirs are not followed by the apostrophe. Finally, if you want to play around with it, Wikipedia has a list of four phrases illustrating how the apostrophe can literally change the meaning of sentences. my sisters friends investments (I have one sister and she has one friend.) my sisters friends investments (I have many sisters and they have many friends.) my sisters friends investments (I have many sisters and they have one friend.) my sisters friends investments (I have one sister and she has many friends.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings)Peace of Mind and A Piece of One's Mind20 Clipped Forms and Their Place (If Any) in Formal Writing