6.8: Apostrophes
- Page ID
- 177467
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A. Apostrophes are used to show possession or relationship between two nouns.
For a regular plural noun, put the apostrophe after the -s.
- Teachers’ office hours can be a great resource for struggling students.
For an irregular plural noun, keep the apostrophe before the -s.
- Children’s stories are useful teaching tools.
For proper nouns that end in -s, both forms can be used.
- Carlos’ ideas / Carlos’s ideas are very interesting.
B. Apostrophes are used to show a contraction. Note: In much academic and professional writing, writers do not use contractions.
- It’s important to study environmental changes. (it is)
- The author’s discussing his works online. (the author is)
- The author’s discussed his works online. (the author has)
Don’t use an apostrophe for decades.
- The 1960s was a time of great change in society.
Don’t use an apostrophe for acronyms.
- Before streaming music and video, CDs and DVDs were common forms of media.