Apostrophes
Apostrophes are used to signal two things to a reader:
- possession (apostrophe + 鈥榮鈥)
- omission (replaces a letter or letters in a word or words)
Possession
This is when one thing belongs to another. The apostrophe + 鈥榮鈥 shows ownership.
For example:
Example 1 鈥 The 产辞测鈥檚 shoes were left outside the door.
Example 2 鈥 The 诲辞驳鈥檚 paws were dirty.
If the possessive noun is plural and ends in an 鈥榮鈥 already, then an apostrophe is placed at the end of the word, but there is no need for the extra 鈥榮鈥:
For example:
Example 1- The 产辞测蝉鈥 (not 产辞测蝉鈥檚) shoes were outside the door.
Example 2 - The 诲辞驳蝉鈥 (not 诲辞驳蝉鈥檚) paws were dirty.
With singular nouns that end in an 鈥榮鈥, you can either add an apostrophe alone to show possession, or you can add an apostrophe + 鈥榮鈥. Both are correct, but you should be consistent.
For example:
Example 1 鈥 Mr 闯辞苍别蝉鈥檚 clock has stopped. Or - Mr 闯辞苍别蝉鈥 clock has stopped.
Example 2 鈥 The 肠濒补蝉蝉鈥檚 homework was due. Or - The 肠濒补蝉蝉鈥 homework was due.
Omission
This is when we miss out letters from words to shorten them, forming a 'contraction'.
For example:
Example 1 - do not becomes 诲辞苍鈥檛.
Example 2 - could not becomes 肠辞耻濒诲苍鈥檛.
Example 3 - cannot becomes 肠补苍鈥檛.
Example 4 - will not is irregular and becomes 飞辞苍鈥檛.
Its and it's
Its (without an apostrophe) shows a relationship of possession, eg
- Its fur is smooth and shiny.
- The sun has got its hat on.
- The dog chased its tail.
It's uses an apostrophe to show contraction. It's is short for 'it is' (or sometimes 'it has').
For example:
- 滨迟鈥檚 almost home time! = It is almost home time!
- It's got a lot of errors in it. = It has got a lot of errors in it.