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Apostrophes: Missing Letters and Ownership

In one line: An apostrophe (') is a small raised comma with two jobs: it shows where letters have been left out of a shortened word, like don't for do not, and it shows that something belongs to someone, like Sam's bag.

Why it works

Apostrophes help readers understand exactly what you mean. 'The boy's toys' means the toys belong to one boy, but 'the boys' toys' means they belong to several boys, and that tiny mark is the only difference. Getting apostrophes right makes your writing clear and easy to read, and it is one of the punctuation skills teachers look for most often in children's writing.

Think of it like: Think of a possessive apostrophe as a name tag clipped onto a word. In 'Mia's coat', the apostrophe and s are like a tag saying 'this coat belongs to Mia'. If the owner is a group whose name already ends in s, such as 'the girls', you clip the tag on after the s: 'the girls' coats'. (Where this breaks: The name-tag idea only works for ownership. In a contraction (two words squashed into one, like can't), the apostrophe is not a name tag at all; it simply marks the spot where letters were taken out. Also, owning words such as its, hers, ours, yours and theirs never take an apostrophe, even though they show ownership.)

Worked example

Add the missing apostrophes to this sentence: The two boys bikes werent locked.

  1. Look for a word that is a shortened form of two words. 'werent' is short for 'were not'.
  2. Find the missing letter: 'were not' loses the 'o' in 'not', so the apostrophe goes where the 'o' was: weren't.
  3. Look for ownership. The bikes belong to the boys, so 'boys' needs an apostrophe.
  4. Check how many owners there are. There are two boys, and 'boys' already ends in s, so add just an apostrophe after the s: boys'.
  5. Check the other words. 'bikes' is simply more than one bike and owns nothing, so it gets no apostrophe.

Answer: The two boys' bikes weren't locked.

Common mistakes

  • Putting an apostrophe in a plain plural, like 'apple's for sale'; if the word just means more than one and owns nothing, write 'apples' with no apostrophe.
  • Mixing up it's and its; use it's only when you can say 'it is' or 'it has', and use its (no apostrophe) to show ownership, as in 'the dog wagged its tail'.
  • Putting the apostrophe in the wrong place in a contraction, like 'did'nt'; the apostrophe goes exactly where the letters are missing, so it is 'didn't' (did not, with the 'o' removed).
  • Writing 'the girl's hats' when the hats belong to many girls; for a plural owner ending in s, put the apostrophe after the s: 'the girls' hats'.

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Which word correctly completes the sentence? 'I ___ find my shoes.' (meaning 'cannot')

Questions parents ask

What year do children learn about apostrophes?

In the UK, children usually learn contractions and apostrophes for a single owner in Year 2, then apostrophes for plural owners in Year 4. In Australia this is typically covered across Years 2 to 4, and in the US contractions and simple possessives appear in Grades 1 to 2, with plural possessives in Grade 3.

How can I help my child with apostrophes at home?

Go on an apostrophe hunt in shop signs, menus and books, and ask your child whether each one shows missing letters or ownership. For ownership, ask 'Who owns it, and is there one owner or more than one?' before deciding where the apostrophe goes.

Why does my child keep mixing up its and it's?

It is a very common mix-up, even among adults, because most owning words do use an apostrophe. Teach a simple test: if you can swap in 'it is' or 'it has' and the sentence still makes sense, write it's; if not, write its.

How do you write ownership for names ending in s, like James or children?

For a single name ending in s, both James's book and James' book are accepted, though many schools teach James's. For plural words that do not end in s, like children, men or people, add 's as normal: the children's toys.