The use of apostrophes in the English language

The apostrophe is a raised comma. It is a punctuation mark used in the English language. It was introduced into English in the 16th century. It looks like single quotes, but has a completely different purpose. In most cases, apostrophes are used to mark contractions. They are used in various ways and the correct use of the apostrophe is discussed below:

1- Use with contractions

The apostrophe is used in place of the missing letter(s). A contraction is a word (or set of numbers) in which one or more letters (or numbers) have been omitted. The use of contractions is common when speaking or in formal writing. It is used to indicate the missing letters in words.

Examples: – She is going for a walk.

Do not touch a bare wire.

Who is in the room?

It is the first day of the month.

2- Use to show possession

Possession is when something belongs to someone or something. The apostrophe is used to indicate singular possession and is used before the s.

Examples: – Mr. Rachel’s bat

This is Jessica’s book.

The Dog’s cookies are in the kitchen.

Pamela’s dress sense is really nice.

Rules to follow:-

There are certain rules that you must follow when using an apostrophe to show possession. These rules are given below:-

a- Do not use apostrophes with possessive pronouns. The reason is that possessive pronouns already show possession. Possessive personal pronouns do not use an apostrophe. Examples include: our, his, hers, his, theirs, etc.

b- In case of plural possession, use the apostrophe immediately after the plural noun. Examples include: two boys’ socks, two girls’ scarves, the Williamson’s house, etc.

3- Do not use them to indicate plural

Apostrophes should not be used to indicate plural. Often people get confused and use an apostrophe when using the plural. The apostrophe should not be used when only talking about something in the plural, without possession.

Examples: – Mango’s (incorrect) Mangos (correct)

Apple Apples (incorrect) (correct)

4- Use in foreign words

Apostrophes are also used in foreign words like Qur’an, Hawai’i. The use of an apostrophe in this case is purely decorative.

These were the general rules that you should follow when using an apostrophe. A personal suggestion is to review your content when you have finished writing. Check all use of s in the document as these would indicate the presence of an apostrophe. Today online punctuation checkers are available and if you are short on time, you can check your document online for punctuation errors.