Decoding the Do’s and Don’ts- When to Place an Apostrophe Before the ‘S’ in English Grammar

When to put apostrophe before “s” is a common question among English learners and writers. Understanding when to use the apostrophe to form the possessive or contractions is crucial for producing grammatically correct sentences. This article will delve into the rules and exceptions to help you use apostrophes correctly.

The primary use of the apostrophe before “s” is to indicate possession. When you want to show that something belongs to someone or something, you add an apostrophe followed by an “s.” For example, “The dog’s bone” indicates that the bone belongs to the dog. However, the placement of the apostrophe before or after “s” depends on the noun it is attached to.

In general, when the noun is singular and ends in “s,” you add an apostrophe before the “s.” For instance, “The boss’s car” means the car belongs to the boss. This rule applies to most nouns ending in “s,” such as “lady,” “child,” and “bus.” However, there are exceptions, such as “man’s” and “woman’s,” which are considered correct even though the nouns end in “s.”

On the other hand, when the noun is plural and ends in “s,” you add an apostrophe after the “s.” For example, “The cats’ toys” means the toys belong to the cats. This rule also applies to plural nouns that do not end in “s,” such as “children’s” and “students’.”

Another common situation where you need to decide whether to put the apostrophe before or after “s” is in contractions. Contractions are words formed by combining two words and omitting one or more letters, usually the last letter of the first word and the first letter of the second word. When you create a contraction, you add an apostrophe before the “s” to indicate the missing letters. For example, “don’t” is a contraction of “do not,” and “can’t” is a contraction of “cannot.”

There are some exceptions to the rule of placing the apostrophe before “s” in contractions. For instance, “I’m” is a contraction of “I am,” and “you’re” is a contraction of “you are.” In these cases, the apostrophe comes before the “m” and “re,” respectively, because the omitted letters are from the first word.

In conclusion, when to put apostrophe before “s” depends on the context of the sentence. Follow these guidelines to use apostrophes correctly:

– Add an apostrophe before “s” for singular nouns ending in “s” to indicate possession.
– Add an apostrophe after “s” for plural nouns ending in “s” to indicate possession.
– Add an apostrophe before “s” in contractions to indicate omitted letters.

By understanding these rules and exceptions, you will be able to use apostrophes correctly and enhance the clarity and correctness of your writing.