Page 106 - (DK) Help Your Kids with Language Arts

104 PUNCTU A TION

Apostrophes SEE ALSO

32–33 Determiners
APOSTROPHES SHOW POSSESSION OR OMISSION.   48–49 Auxiliary verbs
80–81 Negatives
Other confusing words 170–171 
The apostrophe is used to create the possessive form of nouns
and represents letters that have been omitted in contractions.
It can also be used to create a few unusual plural nouns.

Missing letters Original form Contracted form Original form Contracted form
An apostrophe represents it is it’s he had; he would he’d
missing letters in a contraction, she is she’s I will I’ll
which is when a word or words
are shortened by omitting who is who’s you will you’ll
letters. There are about 100 I am I’m who will who’ll
common contractions. Only you are you’re is not isn’t
auxiliary verbs such as be and
have can be used in this way. we are we’re has not hasn’t
they are they’re cannot can’t
I have I’ve could not couldn’t
we have we’ve will not won’t
would have would’ve did not didn’t

Rafael wasn’t happy that the

his name with two f’s on

REAL W OR L D
Apostrophe catastrophe Plural forms
Occasionally, apostrophes are used to create plural
The use of apostrophes in plurals in commercial signs forms where adding an s on its own would cause
is widespread. This type of mistake is sometimes called confusion, as when an abbreviation or a single letter
a “greengrocer’s apostrophe.” is made plural. There are very few words that are
pluralized in this way. Most plurals of regular nouns
are formed by adding only an s.

Without the apostrophe,
with two f’s it would be unclear that
the phrase is talking
about the letter f.