Apostrophes

1
Apostrophes

• 3 uses
• Missing letters
• Youre ready ( You are ready)
• Lets go ( Let us go)
• Whos there? ( Who is there?)
• Its time for coffee ( It is time for coffee)
• Possession
• Boyles law (the law of Boyle)
• Todays society (the society of today)
• Plurals of lower case letters/omission of numbers
• Remember to cross your ts
• Summer of 85
• Class of 98

2
1 Missing Letters
This contracted form is generally not used in
formal writing.
Whats he doing?
What is he doing?
Its been raining all day.
It has been raining all day.
I have read it.
Ive read it.
He has gone.
Hes gone.
He would not look.
He wouldnt look.
3
2 Possession
Wrong
Right
The Mayors car
The Mayors car
Johns sister
Johns sister
The papers conclusion
The papers conclusion
Einsteins theory
Einsteins theory
4
More Examples
Wrong
Right
The childrens bags
The childrens bags
A years salary
A years salary
Someone elses idea
Someone elses idea
A months leave
A months leave
My moneys worth
My moneys worth
5
Exception

• Its/Its
• No apostrophe when possessive
• The group made its decision. ( decision of the
  group)
• The dog liked its house ( house of dog)
• But use an apostrophe when a letter is missing
• Its sunny today ( it is a sunny day)
• Its a hard test ( it is a hard test)

6
Plurals of lower case letters and Omission of
numbers
The word Mississippi has four ss.
The word Mississippi has four ss.
She dots her is carefully
She dots her is carefully
and crosses her ts.
and crosses her ts.
7
Be careful
Note plural of CAPITAL letters
She got two As and three Bs.
She got two As and three Bs.
The group has three PhDs.
The group has three PhDs.
My sister and I have identical IQs
My sister and I have identical IQs
8
Omission of numbers
02 Olympics
02 Olympics
The crash of 86
The crash of 86
75 Vintage
75 Vintage
9
Test Yourself

• Try the interactive test
• http//owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/interact/g_
  apostEX1.html
• Second test
• http//owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/interact/g_
  apostEX2.html