The Parts of Speech
Apostrophes
A is for Apostrophe
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Repeat after me: Apostrophes NEVER make words plural. That's what the letter S is for!
An important Exception to Remember:
USUALLY, an apostrophe before an s indicates possession, but in the case of the word it's, that's not the case. it's = it is (a contraction) It's a great day to learn grammar! it's= it has (contraction It's been too long since I practiced apostrophes! its = ownership by it The bird lost its life in a window accident. One more thing to remember: Many common nouns end in the letter S Ex: lens, cactus, bus Many proper nouns end in the letter S: Ex: Mr. Jones, Texas, Christmas There are conflicting rules about how to show possession when writing such nouns. Be consistent and choose either of the following: Add an apostrophe and and S to indicate ownership Ex: Mrs. Jones's diary Add only an apostrophe after the S Ex: Mrs. Jones' diary As long as you're consistent, you'll be correct! Oh, and plural nouns that do not end in S (children, fish, etc.) need and apostrophe AND an S to indicate possession! Ex: The Children's theater was renovated. The deer's tracks let us know there'd been at least 4 in our back yard. |
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