The Apostrophe: When and How to Use it

1. Uses of the Apostrophe

✔ To Show Contraction (Shortened Words)

• An apostrophe ( ' ) replaces missing letters in contracted forms (shortened words).
• Examples:
  • do not → don't
  • I will → I'll
  • it is → it's

✔ To Show Possession (Belonging)

• Used to indicate ownership or that something belongs to someone.
• Examples:
  • Singular: Sam's book (The book belongs to Sam.)
  • Plural: The players' uniforms (The uniforms belong to the players.)
  • Rule:
  • Singular nouns: Add 's (Mpho's commitment).
  • Plural nouns ending in 's': Add only ' (the teachers' lounge).

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2. Common Apostrophe Errors & Corrections

✔ Contractions vs. Possessive Pronouns

• 'It's' means 'it is' or 'it has' (It's raining = It is raining).
• 'Its' (without an apostrophe) is a possessive pronoun (The dog wagged its tail).

✔ Placement of the Apostrophe in Plural Possession

• Incorrect: A few second's eye contact.
• ✅ Correct: A few seconds' eye contact.
  • ('Seconds' is plural, so the apostrophe comes after the 's'.)

✔ Fixing Misused Apostrophes

• Incorrect: Shaking it's contents into my hands.
• ✅ Correct: Shaking its contents into my hands.
  • ('Its' is a pronoun and does not take an apostrophe.)