How to Use Apostrophes Correctly

Due to the alarming proliferation of apostrophes occurring inappropriately in the written English language, a little guidance on appropriate apostrophe usage is in order. The good news is, apostrophe usage is really not that difficult if you remember four simple rules.

Apostrophe Rule #1 - Apostrophes are used with nouns to show possession.

Remember that a noun is a person, place or thing. If that person, place or thing has possession of something, you must use an apostrophe and an "s" to show that possession when you write about it.

Let's say you have a kitten. The kitten has fur. You would use an apostrophe to show that the fur belonged to the kitten. For example, "The kitten's fur is soft."

Any noun that possesses the next object in the sentence would require an apostrophe to show ownership. Sam's striped pajamas, Vladimir's octopus, and the book's pages, all use an apostrophe to show possession.

Note that when a single noun ends in "s," it still requires an apostrophe and an additional "s" to show possession; for instance, the cactus's thorns or the brass's dull sheen.

A plural noun, such as kittens, only requires an apostrophe at the end to show possession, without an additional "s." For instance, if you had several kittens, you might say, "The kittens' litter needs changing." This shows that the litter belongs to all of the kittens.

Apostrophe Rule #2 - Apostrophes are not used with pronouns to show possession.

Remember that pronouns are substitutes for nouns. He, she, him, her, it, they and them are all pronouns. Her kitten, his pajamas, and their popcorn show possession without an apostrophe.

The word "it" does require an "s" to show possession, but not an apostrophe. For example, "I have a kitten. Its fur is soft," would be correct.

Plural nouns that don't end in s, like men or people, also have to have an apostrophe and an s to show possession. (Men's handkerchiefs, or the people's Government, for example).

If the plural noun ends in s, then simply add an apostrophe to show possession, as in "The kittens' paws all have claws."

Apostrophe Rule #3 - Contractions need an apostrophe to show that there is a letter missing.

Some words, called contractions, use an apostrophe in place of a letter or letters to "contract" the words in to one. Words like "can't" stand for can not; "isn't" can be said is not, etc. In this case, the apostrophe is merely indicating that letters are missing. It's a kind of place holder.

An apostrophe is also used in colloquialisms, such as "readin,' 'ritin,' and 'rithmetic." The apostrophe shows that a letter is missing.

When the word "it" is used as a contraction, as in "it's" for it is, the apostrophe must be used to show that there is a contraction formed.

The word "it" will therefore sometimes appear with an apostrophe and sometimes not, but there is a reason for this. For instance, let's talk about your kitten again. "I have a kitten. Its tongue is rough, so it's funny when the kitten licks me." The first "its," without an apostrophe, shows possession. The second "it's," with an apostrophe, stands for "it is."

Apostrophe Rule #4 - When you form a plural, you do not need an apostrophe.

Remember that when a word is plural it simply means there is more than one of whatever is being discussed. Apples, orangutans, lemmings, pencils and anything else that you have more than one of requires an "s" to show that there is indeed more than one. If you have one pencil, write "pencil." If you have two or more, write "pencils."

No apostrophe is required for plurals. I repeat, NO apostrophe is needed, expected, required, or even proper for plurals. If you are selling bananas, just sell them, without adding extra apostrophes for emphasis.

Extra apostrophes when merely indicating plural words seem to be an epidemic in the written English language.
You can help change this by simply remembering these four little rules:

Rule # 1 - Apostrophes are used with nouns to show possession.

Rule #2 - Apostrophes are not used with pronouns to show possession.

Rule #3 - Contractions need an apostrophe to show that there is a letter missing.

Rule #4 - When you form a plural, you do not need an apostrophe.

If you would like more information on the proper usage of an apostrophe, or to learn the rare exceptions that prove the rule, see the Yahoo Style Guide online, or a book such as Margaret Shertzer's "Elements of Grammar."

Meanwhile,If you just remember to use apostrophes to show possession and to form contractions, and remember not to use apostrophes to form plurals, you'll help rid the world of many unnecessary apostrophes.

Sources:

The Yahoo! Style Guide, Apostrophes

"The Elements of Grammar," Apostrophes, pg. 96-100, Margaret Shertzer

The Guide to Grammar and Writing, Plural Noun Forms, Capital Community College (CCC) Foundation