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Punctuation Apostrophe
Punctuation Apostrophe
7 Apostrophe
How should I use the apostrophe? The following guidelines should help you make sure you are using it correctly. Use the apostrophe to form the possessive of nouns and pronouns. Rules for forming the possessive:
heroine heroine James' novels the boss' car Dickens'
If the noun is singular and ends in "s," you may form the possessive either by adding apostrophe s or by simply adding the apostrophe.
Examples: James's novels the boss's car Dickens's
The exceptions to this flexible rule are Jesus, Moses, and Zeus, which traditionally form the possessive with just the apostrophe:
Jesus' teaching Moses' commandments Zeus' power
If the noun is plural (and does not end in "s"), add apostrophe s.
toys Examples: women's coats people's court children's
Pronouns ending in "-one" or "-body" also form the possessive with an apostrophe s.
Examples: someone's coat anybody's idea
The possessive of pronouns combined with "else" is formed by adding apostrophe s to "else".
Examples: someone else's coat anybody else's idea
In phrases using the pronoun "other," form the possessive by following the general rule for nouns. Form the singular possessive with apostrophe s and the plural with an apostrophe.
Examples: each other's letters one another's houses
a month's leave
my money's worth
11. Do not confuse "its" (possessive pronoun) with "it's" (contraction of it is).
go now. WRONG: RIGHT: That book has lost it's cover. That book has lost its cover. Its too late to It's too late to
Similarly, do not confuse the possessive pronoun "whose" with the contraction "who's" (contraction of who is).
WRONG: RIGHT: Who's coat is this? Whose coat is this? Whose going to the movie? Who's going to the movie?