o show possession for singular nouns, place an apostrophe before the "s" (e.g., the dog's bone). For plural nouns ending in "s", place an apostrophe after the "s" (e.g., the dogs' bones). To form contractions, place an apostrophe in place of the omitted letters (e.g., don't = do not)...

1 answer

You've outlined the rules for using apostrophes quite well! To summarize:

  1. Singular Nouns: For a singular noun, show possession by adding an apostrophe before the "s".

    • Example: the dog's bone (the bone belonging to one dog).
  2. Plural Nouns Ending in "s": For plural nouns that already end in "s", add an apostrophe after the "s" to indicate possession.

    • Example: the dogs' bones (the bones belonging to multiple dogs).
  3. Plural Nouns Not Ending in "s": For plural nouns that do not end in "s", add an apostrophe followed by "s".

    • Example: the children's toys (the toys belonging to the children).
  4. Contractions: Use an apostrophe to indicate omitted letters in contractions.

    • Example: don't = do not.

These rules help clarify ownership and simplify certain phrases in writing. If you have any more questions or need examples related to apostrophes, feel free to ask!