Understanding how to place an apostrophe correctly is one of those small details that makes a big difference in written English. Whether you are showing that something belongs to someone or joining two words into a shorter form, the apostrophe follows clear, predictable rules that are easy to master once you see them in action.
When do you use apostrophes for possession?
The first major use of the apostrophe is to indicate possession, meaning something belongs to someone or something. The placement of the apostrophe depends on whether the owner is singular or plural [0:28].
- Singular possession: the apostrophe goes before the S. For example, Manuel's car tells us the car belongs to one person, Manuel.
- Plural possession: the apostrophe goes after the S. For example, Students' supplies tells us the supplies belong to more than one student.
This distinction is critical. Placing the apostrophe on the wrong side of the S changes the meaning or creates an error. A helpful trick: identify the owner first, then add the apostrophe right after it.
How do apostrophes work in contractions?
The second case is contractions, where two words are joined and one or more letters are removed [1:13]. The apostrophe sits exactly where the missing letter used to be.
- Should not becomes shouldn't. The apostrophe replaces the O in not.
- They are becomes they're. The apostrophe replaces the A in are.
- We are becomes we're. Again, the apostrophe replaces the A.
- It is becomes it's. The apostrophe replaces the I in is.
A common mistake is keeping the replaced letter alongside the apostrophe. For instance, writing we'are instead of we're is incorrect because the whole point of the contraction is that the apostrophe takes the place of that letter [2:23].
Can you spot the errors in these practice sentences?
Putting rules into practice is the fastest way to build confidence. Consider these five corrections discussed during the lesson [1:46]:
- "We went to Sarah's house." The apostrophe must go before the S because Sarah is one person. Placing it after the S is incorrect.
- "He didn't visit Rome on his trip to Europe." This contraction of did not is correct.
- "We're changing all the computers next year." The correct form removes the A from are and replaces it with the apostrophe: we're (W-E-apostrophe-R-E).
- "It's currently located in Asia." This contraction of it is is correct.
- "My parents' information was incomplete." Because parents is plural, the apostrophe belongs after the S, not before it [2:55].
Quick rules to remember
- Singular owner: add apostrophe + S (Manuel's).
- Plural owner ending in S: add only the apostrophe after the S (parents').
- Contractions: the apostrophe replaces the exact letter that disappears.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Do not confuse it's (it is) with its (possessive). The possessive form of it never takes an apostrophe.
- Do not leave the replaced letter in a contraction (we'are is wrong; we're is right).
- Always check whether the noun is singular or plural before deciding where to place the apostrophe.
Practice with the downloadable worksheet mentioned at the end of the lesson and test yourself. Share your results and any tricky sentences you find — discussing real examples is one of the best ways to make these rules stick.
