| 1. The apostrophe is used to indicate the possessive case of nouns and indefinite pronouns. The possessive case of almost all singular nouns may be formed by adding ۥ s. The possessive case of plural nouns is generally formed by adding an apostrophe only. The possessive case of irregular plurals is formed by adding ۥ s.
| Mr. Brown’s house
the girl’s mother
the children’s toys
|
| 2. The apostrophe is used in writing contractions.
| don’t
they’ve
he’d (for he would or he had)
|
| 3. The apostrophe is used to mark omission of digits in numbers.
| Expired in ’97 (for 1997)
|
| 4. The apostrophe is used to form plurals of letters, figures, punctuated abbreviations, symbols, and words to as words.
| Mind your p’s and b’s.
His 1’s can be confused with 7’s.
Many students have difficulty with pronouncing their the’s.
|
