The Apostrophe

The Apostrophe

Here are useful rules for the apostrophe. Learn them well, and use them in your writing.

  • Use an apostrophe to form the possessive of singular and plural nouns.
    Add an apostrophe and an s to form the possessive of a singular noun.

    Joe + ’s = Joe’s car
    day + ’s = day’s effort
    flag + ’s = flag’s colors
    glass + ’s = glass’s cost

    Note: If a plural noun ends in s, just add an apostrophe.

    cars + ’ = cars’ interiors
    televisions + ’ = televisions’ locations

    Note: If a plural noun does not end in s, add ’s to the word.
    mice + ’s = mice’s home
    women + ’s = women’s department

    Note: If a name of two or more syllables ends in an eez sound, the possessive is formed
    without an additional s.

    the tales of Ulysses = Ulysses’ tales
    the speeches of Orestes = Orestes’ speeches

  • To make the possessive of a compound word or the name of a co-owned business or
    organization, add ’s to the last word of the name.

    brother-in-law’s shoes
    Jackson and Meyer’s law firm

  • --- >>>
  • the interjection
  • Active and passive voices
  • agreement between indefinite pronouns and their antecedents
  • agreement involving prepositional phrases
  • Commas Part Five
  • Commas Part Four
  • Commas Part One
  • Commas Part Three
  • Commas Part Two
  • complete and simple predicates
  • complete and simple subjects
  • complex sentences
  • compound complex sentences
  • compound prepositions and the preposition adverb question
  • compound subject and compound predicate
  • compound subjects part two
  • compound subjects part one
  • Confusing usage words part eight
  • Confusing usage words part five
  • Confusing usage words part four
  • Confusing usage words part one
  • Confusing usage words part seven
  • Confusing usage words part six
  • Confusing usage words part three
  • Confusing usage words part three 2
  • Confusing usage words part two
  • First Capitalization List
  • indefinite pronouns
  • Indefinite pronouns and the possessive case
  • introducing clauses
  • introducing phrases
  • Irregular Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs
  • irregular verbs part one
  • irregular verbs part two
  • Italics Hyphens and Brackets
  • Misplaced and dangling modifiers
  • More Apostrophe Situations
  • More subject verb agreement situations
  • Parentheses Ellipsis Marks and Dashes
  • Periods Question Marks and Exclamation Marks
  • personal pronouns
  • pronouns and their antecedents
  • Quotation Marks Part Three
  • Quotation Marks Part One
  • Quotation Marks Part Two
  • reflexive demonstrative and interrogative pronouns
  • Regular Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs
  • regular verb tenses
  • Second Capitalization List
  • sentences fragments and run on sentences
  • singular and plural nouns and pronouns
  • Sound a like words Part Four
  • Sound a like words Part Three
  • Sound a like words Part Two
  • Sound alike words part one
  • subject and verb agreement
  • subject complements predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives
  • subject verb agreement situations
  • the adjective
  • the adjective clause
  • the adjective phrase
  • the adverb
  • the adverb clause
  • the adverb phrase
  • The Apostrophe
  • the appositive
  • The Colon
  • The coordinating conjunction
  • the correlative conjunction
  • the direct object
  • the gerund and gerund phrase
  • the indirect object
  • the infinitive and infinitive phrase
  • The nominative case
  • the noun
  • the noun adjective pronoun question
  • the noun clause
  • the object of the preposition
  • the participle and participial phrase
  • The possessive case
  • The possessive case 2
  • The possessive case and pronouns
  • the preposition
  • the prepositional phrase
  • the pronoun
  • The Semicolon
  • the subordinating conjunction
  • the verb
  • The verb be
  • the verb phrase
  • Transitive and intransitive verbs
  • types of nouns
  • types of sentences by purpose
  • Using Capital Letters
  • what good writers do
  • My Account / Test History

    Fact
    Hamsters blink one eye at a time.      .. More >>
    Home
    My Account
    English Test
    Verbal Reasoning
    GK Quiz
    Grammar Test