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Apostrophes are those little curved marks you see hanging from certain letters. They look harmless enough, so why do even well educated people throw them where they don't belong and leave them out where they're needed? Until apostrophes disappear from English altogether, you can take one step toward apostrophe reform by perfecting the art of showing possession.
my aunt's pen
the lovers' letters
that corner bar's fine wines
All of these phrases include nouns that express ownership. Think of the apostrophe as a little hand, holding on to an s to indicate ownership or possession. In these examples, you notice that the apostrophe is used to show that a singular noun owns something (aunt's, pen; bar's fine wines). You also see a phrase where the apostrophe indicates that plural nouns own something (lovers' letters).
Here's the bottom line: To show possession by one owner, add an apostrophe and the letter s to the owner:
the dragon's burnt tooth (the burnt tooth belongs to the dragon)
Lulu's pierced tooth (the pierced tooth belongs to Lulu)
Another way to think about this rule is to see whether the word of expresses what you're trying to say. With the of method, you note
the sharp tooth of the crocodile = the crocodile's sharp tooth
the peanut-stained tooth of the elephant = the elephant's peanut-stained tooth
and so on.
What else can I help you with?
Where to put the apostrophe in the word its?
The word "its" does not require an apostrophe when indicating possession, as in "The dog chased its tail." However, "it's" with an apostrophe is a contraction for "it is" or "it has," as in "It's going to rain today." To determine whether to use the apostrophe, consider whether you mean possession (no apostrophe) or a contraction (with apostrophe).
When to put an apostrophe outside a word?
If it shows possession and ends in the letter s.
Where do apostrophe monkey go?
The word monkey is a common singular noun. It requires no apostrophe.The monkey liked his food.If the word monkey has a possession or belonging, it needs an apostrophe.The monkey's food sat uneaten.The plural is monkeys; plural possessive is monkeys', such as monkeys' food.
When do you use an apostrophe in a word?
Use an apostrophe to indicate the following: Possession - This is the boy's ball Contraction - I can't believe that! Omission - His name is O'Hara
When do you use an aprostrophe behind a noun?
An apostrophe is used to make a noun into a possessive noun. By adding an "apostrophe s" to the end of a word, or if the word already ends with an "s", you only add the "apostrophe" after the existing "s" at the end of the word to show that something in the sentence belongs to that noun.The apostrophe or apostrophe s shows possession.
Where does the apostrophe go in 'rhinoceros' when showing possession?
The apostrophe in "rhinoceros" to show possession should go after the "s", making it "rhinoceros'".
Does the word solicitors have an apostrophe?
No, the word "solicitors" does not have an apostrophe. An apostrophe is typically used to show possession or to indicate missing letters in a contraction. In the case of "solicitors," there is no need to show possession or contraction.
Does the word skittles have an apostrophe in a sentence?
No, the word "skittles" does not have an apostrophe in a sentence. An apostrophe is typically used to show possession or contraction, which is not the case for the word "skittles."
How do you use an apostrophe after the word customer?
For singular possession, it would be customer's.For plural possession, it would be customers'.An apostrophe would not be placed on its own after the word customer.
Does grandmas have an apostrophe?
Use an apostrophe if you want to show possession. Example: grandma's garden
Is apostrophe used for the word sees?
No, the word "sees" does not require an apostrophe. The apostrophe is used to show possession or omission of letters, not for pluralizing verbs.
Does the word pipeworks need an apostrophe?
No, the word "pipeworks" does not require an apostrophe. It is a compound noun that does not involve possession or contraction.
Where to put apostrophe in the word cyclist?
there is no apostrophe in the word cyclist.
Should there be an apostrophe in the word theirs?
No. Ours is a possessive pronoun. It requires no punctuation to show possession.
Where do you put the apostrophe in actors?
Use an apostrophe after the word actors if it indicates possession. Example: actors' guild
How do you spell the word County showing possession?
To show possession, add apostrophe s: county's.
Do you use an apostrophe for the word that?
One should never use an apostrophe for the word that.One should always use an apostrophe for the word that's, meaning that is.
