For those of you who list mastery of apostrophe usage with the rest of your New Year’s resolutions, here is a short primer:
1. Use an apostrophe to indicate possession.
2. Place the apostrophe before the “s” when referring to a singular entity. For example, “the dog’s food bowl is in the kitchen.” Or, “Karen’s house is on the right.”
3. Place the apostrophe after the “s” when referring to a plural entity. For example, “the rabbits’ nest is in the grass.” Or, “the Smiths’ boat is huge.”
4. “It’s” indicates a contraction of the words “it” and “is.” “Its” indicates possession. For example, “it’s in the works.” (Meaning, it is in the works.) Or, “it’s time for a nap.” (Meaning, it is time for a nap.) If you can replace “it is” in the sentence, “it’s” is a correct contraction. But, “the beaver worked hard on building its dam across the pond.” (Meaning, the beaver’s dam.)
5. A debate exists about whether to add an additional “s” when using an apostrophe with a word that ends in “s.” Either option is generally acceptable these days, although some people have strong feelings on the matter. For example, “Bess’ cake is in the oven.” Or, “Bess’s cake is in the oven.”
Has anyone seen any humorous or outrageous apostrophe usage lately?
