An apostrophe (') denotes possession of something or a possessive relationship with another person (mother's room, my brother's house, the book's cover, my friend's sister). Note that the apostrophe should never be used to form the plurals of ordinary nouns.Mistakes in the use of apostrophes are common: The apostrophe is often omitted where it should be used (one year's guarantee, two days' stay) or inserted where it should not be (all day breakfasts; my pen has lost its top). Sometimes the apostrophe is purposely omitted to "clean up" the look of a word, a practice that is especially common in brand or trade names.Confusion sometimes arises over the possessive use of the apostrophe, specifically whether an apostrophe should be placed before or after the final s when attached to a noun. The general rule is that possessive nouns are formed by adding 's to a singular noun (the girl's dog, the people's choice). In the case of plural nouns that end in s the possessive noun is formed by adding a final apostrophe (a bees' nest; the soldiers' barracks; five years' experience).In the case of names or singular nouns ending in s, x, or z, the apostrophe may or may not be followed by s. The s following the apostrophe is often omitted in the case of names that end in a z sound, especially when they have more than one syllable (James' home, Socrates' theories). In the case of names or other words of just one syllable, the convention is to use 's (Baz's cat, the box's lid, a bass's voice). In other cases where words end in a z sound, the presence or absence of a final s is variously governed by common practice, convention, or pronunciation (an ox's head, a princess's dress).Apostrophes are never used with possessive personal pronouns (her friends, his shoes, its appearance) but are used in the case of indefinite pronouns (go in anyone's car, someone's idea). Note the exceptional case of else in such phrases as anyone else or someone else: Else is neither a noun nor a pronoun but nonetheless takes 's (anyone else's parents, someone else's book).The possessive forms its and whose are a particular source of confusion, because of the risk of confusion with it's and who's (the abbreviated forms of it is or it has and who is or who has). Neither the possessive its nor whose should ever take an apostrophe:The idea has lost its appeal.
The children whose parents have arrived may leave.
Whose house is this? Apostrophes are not generally employed to make singular nouns plural, but there are a very few circumstances in which they may fulfill this function, specifically where the noun refers to individual letters and numbers:She cannot pronounce her r's.
This pack of cards has no 5's. In everyday usage apostrophes are often used to make abbreviations plural (GI's, CD's), but in reality no apostrophe is required (GIs, CDs).Note that the placing of the apostrophe is particularly important in contexts where the possessive noun may be singular or plural: The boy's toys, which refers to the toys of just one boy, is not the same as the boys' toys, which refers to the toys of more than one boy, even though boy's and boys' are pronounced identically. It should also be noted that when a plural noun lacks the usual -s ending, the possessive is formed the same as for a singular noun (children's clothing, men's health, women's rights).Apostrophes can also be used to indicate where a letter has been omitted in a contraction. Examples of words that are commonly contracted in such a manner include the word not when used next to a verb (can't, don't, haven't, isn't, shan't, won't, wouldn't), personal pronouns when run together with a verb (I'm, he'll, she'll, it'll, it's, they're, they've, we're, you're, you've), and the conjunction and (rock 'n' roll). In informal contexts, some other words are also written with apostrophes in the place of individual letters in order to replicate their pronunciation in everyday speech ('fraid so; s'pose so).In former times the word of was often reduced to o', but this and other abbreviated forms is now largely of historical interest only (e'er, ne'er, o'er, 'tis, 'twere). Note, however, that it remains current in the phrase o'clock (three o'clock).
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