Should i put an apostrophe

This combined word is called a contraction. However, note that contractions are usually not used in academic writing. Instead, write the full form. If the plural of the word is formed by adding an "s" for example, cats , place the apostrophe after the "s" see guideline 3 below. If the plural of the word is formed without adding an "s" for example, children , add apostrophe "s" 's as you would to the singular form.

The exception to the possessive rule is that pronouns show possession without the use of apostrophes e. Note: Some grammar textbooks recommend keeping the "s ' s" s apostrophe s or "ss ' s" s s apostrophe s ending for singular words or for names ending in "s" or an "s" sound because this spelling allows for easier pronunciation. It is a common error for people to write "it ' s i t apostrophe s " for possessive when they should write "its. It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older.

This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results. Write Clearly: Punctuation. Using Colons Using Apostrophes What is an apostrophe?

Although this makes perfect sense, it is considered wrong. May I borrow yours? Your email address will not be published. English Language Help Desk. Skip to content. With personal names that end in - s but are not spoken with an extra s : just add an apostrophe after the - s :. Connors' finest performance was in With a plural noun that already ends in - s : add an apostrophe after the s :.

These are the words his , hers , its , our , your , their meaning 'belonging to or associated with him, her, it, us, you, or them'. See also it's or its? An apostrophe can be used to show that letters or numbers have been omitted. Here are some examples of apostrophes that indicate missing letters:. It also shows that numbers have been omitted, especially in dates, e. These two words can cause a lot of confusion: many people are uncertain about whether or not to use an apostrophe.

These are the rules to remember:. Each case is judged on its own merits. The general rule is that you should not use an apostrophe to form the plurals of nouns, abbreviations, or dates made up of numbers: just add -s or -es , if the noun in question forms its plural with -es.

For example:. There are one or two cases in which it is acceptable to use an apostrophe to form a plural, purely for the sake of clarity:. These are the only cases in which it is generally considered acceptable to use an apostrophe to form plurals: remember that an apostrophe should never be used to form the plural of ordinary nouns, names, abbreviations, or numerical dates.