English

Practical English Grammar


The Apostrophe


Here are useful rules for the apostrophe. Learn them well, and use them in your writing.

1. Use an apostrophe to form the possessive of singular and plural nouns.
Add an apostrophe and an s to form the possessive of a singular noun.

Joe + ’s = Joe’s car
day + ’s = day’s effort
flag + ’s = flag’s colors
glass + ’s = glass’s cost

Note: If a plural noun ends in s, just add an apostrophe.

cars + ’ = cars’ interiors
televisions + ’ = televisions’ locations

Note: If a plural noun does not end in s, add ’s to the word.
mice + ’s = mice’s home
women + ’s = women’s department

Note: If a name of two or more syllables ends in an eez sound, the possessive is formed
without an additional s.

the tales of Ulysses = Ulysses’ tales
the speeches of Orestes = Orestes’ speeches

2. To make the possessive of a compound word or the name of a co-owned business or
organization, add ’s to the last word of the name.

brother-in-law’s shoes
Jackson and Meyer’s law firm

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Notes


Practical English Grammar - Notes
1. compound subjects part two
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2. Quotation Marks Part Three
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3. Italics Hyphens and Brackets
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4. complete and simple subjects
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5. Sound a like words Part Four
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6. the adjective clause
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7. Commas Part Two
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8. the indirect object
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9. irregular verbs part two
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10. what good writers do
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11. Commas Part Four
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12. compound subjects part one
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13. Periods Question Marks and Exclamation Marks
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14. the noun adjective pronoun question
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15. the adverb
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16. Commas Part Three
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17. The Colon
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18. Quotation Marks Part Two
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19. First Capitalization List
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20. subject verb agreement situations
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21. the correlative conjunction
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22. the subordinating conjunction
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23. the interjection
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24. the object of the preposition
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25. types of nouns
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26. reflexive demonstrative and interrogative pronouns
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27. The nominative case
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28. The Apostrophe
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29. Quotation Marks Part One
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30. subject and verb agreement
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31. introducing phrases
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32. the verb phrase
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33. the prepositional phrase
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34. the adjective phrase
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35. the appositive
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36. the participle and participial phrase
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37. the infinitive and infinitive phrase
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38. the noun clause
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39. Confusing usage words part one
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40. Confusing usage words part two
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41. Confusing usage words part three
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42. Confusing usage words part five
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43. Confusing usage words part six
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44. Confusing usage words part seven
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45. Active and passive voices
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46. Commas Part One
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47. The Semicolon
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48. Second Capitalization List
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49. agreement between indefinite pronouns and their antecedents
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50. indefinite pronouns
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