Grammar
Apostrophes: possession and contractions
Look at these two sentences: The students' room is upstairs. The students are upstairs. The apostrophe in the first sentence shows that the room belongs to the students. The second sentence only says where the students are.
Use apostrophes in common possessives and contractions, and avoid adding them to ordinary plural nouns.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
It's Maya's turn to choose the movie. /ɪts ˈmeɪəz tɜːn tə tʃuːz ðə ˈmuːvi/
The short answer
Use an apostrophe to show that something belongs to someone or something, and in contractions such as don't and it's. Do not use an apostrophe just because a noun is plural.
Maya's notebook is on the desk.
Why it works: The apostrophe plus s shows that the notebook belongs to Maya.
5 more examples
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The teacher's desk is by the window.
One teacher owns or uses the desk, so add apostrophe plus s.
Not this:The
teachers'desk is by the window. What changes: More than one teacher owns or uses the desk, so the apostrophe comes after the plural s. -
The students' bags are outside.
Students is a regular plural ending in s, so the apostrophe follows the s.
Not this:The
student'sbag is outside. What changes: Student is singular, so use apostrophe plus s. -
The children's room is upstairs.
Children is plural, but it does not end in s. Use apostrophe plus s.
Not this:The
child'sroom is upstairs. What changes: Child is singular, so it also uses apostrophe plus s. -
It's cold outside.
It's is short for it is. The apostrophe marks the missing i in is.
Not this:
Itscover is blue. What changes: Its shows possession. It does not have an apostrophe. -
Don't leave the door open.
Don't is a contraction of do not.
Not this:
Do notleave the door open. What changes: This is the full form. The meaning is the same, but there is no apostrophe because no letters are missing.
Read the full guide
Ask one question before you write the mark. Does the phrase show who owns something, or is it a shorter form of two words? For ownership, put the apostrophe in the right place for one owner or more than one owner. For a contraction, the apostrophe marks letters that are not written.
Decide what the apostrophe means
An apostrophe can show possession or a contraction. Possession answers the question whose? A contraction is a short form with missing letters. Decide between these two meanings before you choose where to put the mark.
The manager's office is on the second floor.
Manager's shows that the office belongs to or is used by the manager.
We're on the second floor.
We're is short for we are, so the apostrophe marks missing letters.
Does you're show ownership, or is it a contraction?
You're is a contraction of you are. It does not show ownership.
Use apostrophe plus s for one owner
When one singular noun owns something, add apostrophe plus s. This pattern works with people, animals, places, and things. The word after the possessive names the thing that belongs to that owner.
My neighbor's bike is in the hallway.
One neighbor owns the bike, so neighbor takes apostrophe plus s.
The dog's bowl is in the kitchen.
One dog is connected with the bowl.
Complete the phrase for one owner: the doctor ___ coat.
Write the doctor's coat. Doctor is singular, so add apostrophe plus s.
Put the apostrophe after a regular plural s
A regular plural usually ends in s, such as students, parents, or shops. If something belongs to that plural group, put the apostrophe after the final s. Do not add another s after the apostrophe.
The parents' meeting starts at seven.
The meeting is for or belongs to several parents. Parents already ends in s.
The shops' signs are bright at night.
Shops is plural, so the apostrophe comes after the s.
Which phrase refers to several players: the player's locker or the players' locker?
Use the players' locker when the locker belongs to several players.
Use apostrophe plus s with irregular plurals
Some plural nouns do not end in s. Common examples are children, people, men, women, and mice. These words use apostrophe plus s for possession because the plural word does not already end in s.
The women's coats are near the entrance.
Women is plural without a final s, so use apostrophe plus s.
The people's choice was clear.
People is an irregular plural, so it takes apostrophe plus s.
Complete the phrase: the children ___ library.
Write the children's library. Children is plural, but it does not end in s.
Use apostrophes in contractions
In a contraction, an apostrophe shows that one or more letters are missing. You will often see contractions in conversation, messages, and friendly writing. Learn the full form so you can check the meaning.
She's ready for the interview.
She's is short for she is.
They aren't at home yet.
Aren't is short for are not.
What is the full form of can't?
Can't means cannot. The apostrophe marks letters that are not written in the short form.
Check its, it's, and ordinary plurals
Its is a possessive word, like my or your, so it has no apostrophe. It's means it is or it has. Also remember that an ordinary plural has no apostrophe. Add an apostrophe only when you show possession or make a contraction.
The phone has lost its signal.
Its shows that the signal belongs to the phone.
It's difficult to hear the caller.
It's means it is in this sentence.
Which is an ordinary plural: three phone's or three phones?
Write three phones. A normal plural ending in s does not need an apostrophe.
Before you go
Remember this
Use apostrophe plus s for one owner: Maya's notebook. Put the apostrophe after a regular plural ending in s: the students' bags. Use apostrophe plus s with irregular plurals such as children. In contractions, the apostrophe marks missing letters. Check its and it's carefully, and do not add an apostrophe to an ordinary plural noun.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Apostrophes: possession and contractions"
What does an apostrophe do in English?
An apostrophe has two common jobs. It can show possession, as in Maya's notebook, or show missing letters in a contraction, as in don't.
The teacher's desk is by the window.
When do I use apostrophe plus s?
Use apostrophe plus s with one singular owner, such as the teacher's desk. Use it with an irregular plural that does not end in s too, such as the children's room.
The teachers' desk is by the window.
Where does the apostrophe go in a plural possessive?
With a regular plural ending in s, put the apostrophe after the final s. For example, the parents' meeting is a meeting for several parents.
The students' bags are outside.
What is the difference between its and it's?
Its shows possession: The car lost its mirror. It's is short for it is or it has: It's raining. Test the sentence with it is to check which word you need.
The student's bag is outside.
Do plural nouns need an apostrophe?
No. A normal plural such as books or chairs does not need an apostrophe. Add one only when the noun shows possession, such as the books' covers.
The children's room is upstairs.