Apostrophes: contractions and possession

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课程笔记

What is an Apostrophe?

An apostrophe (') is a small punctuation mark that looks like a floating comma.
It has two main jobs: to show missing letters and to show ownership.
You will see apostrophes in many words you read and write every day.

Job 1: Contractions (Shortened Words)

A contraction is a short way to join two words together.
When we make a contraction, we leave out one or more letters and put an apostrophe in their place.
For example, 'do not' becomes don't – the apostrophe shows where the 'o' is missing.
Other examples: 'I am' → I'm, 'we will' → we'll, 'would not' → wouldn't.
The apostrophe always goes exactly where the missing letters were, not just anywhere.

Job 2: Showing Ownership (Possession)

An apostrophe can show that something belongs to someone or something.
For one owner (singular), add 's to the noun. Example: the dog's bowl means the bowl of one dog.
For more than one owner (plural) that already ends in 's', just add an apostrophe after the 's'. Example: the dogs' bowls means the bowls of many dogs.
For plural words that do not end in 's', add 's. Example: the children's game (children is plural but doesn't end in 's').
Remember: the apostrophe shows ownership, not just that a word is plural.

The Tricky Its vs. It's

It's with an apostrophe means 'it is' or 'it has' – it is a contraction.
Its without an apostrophe shows ownership – it means 'belonging to it'.
Example: 'The cat licked its paw' (ownership). 'It's raining' (it is raining).
Why? Because possessive words like 'its' do not need an apostrophe – they already show ownership.

Possessive Pronouns Never Use Apostrophes

Possessive pronouns are words that show ownership without an apostrophe.
These include hers, theirs, ours, yours, and its.
They already mean 'belonging to her', 'belonging to them', etc., so they never take an apostrophe.
Don't write 'her's' or 'their's' – that's a common mistake!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don't use an apostrophe to make a noun plural. For example, write 'apples' not 'apple's'.
Don't confuse 'its' (ownership) with 'it's' (it is).
Don't put an apostrophe in possessive pronouns like 'hers' or 'theirs'.
Check where the missing letter is in contractions – the apostrophe goes there.
For plural possession, if the word ends in 's', the apostrophe goes after the 's'.

Practice Tips

When you see a word with an apostrophe, ask: Is it a contraction or showing ownership?
To check a contraction, try saying the two full words. For example, 'don't' → 'do not'.
To check possession, ask: 'Who does it belong to?' Then decide if it's one owner or many.
Read your writing aloud – it can help you hear if an apostrophe is missing or in the wrong place.

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练习题

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1.What are the two jobs of an apostrophe?
Easy
- ATo show where letters are missing and to show possession
- BTo make words plural and to show possession
- CTo show where letters are missing and to make words plural
- DTo show emphasis and to make words plural
2.Which word is a contraction?
Easy
- Adon't
- Bdog's
- Cchildren's
- Dits
3.The apostrophe in 'the dog's bowl' shows that the bowl belongs to the dog.
Easy
True or false?
4.The apostrophe in 'the dogs' bowls' shows that one dog owns the bowls.
Easy
True or false?
5.Which sentence uses the apostrophe correctly?
Easy
- AThe cat's are sleeping.
- BThe cats' are sleeping.
- CThe cat's sleeping.
- DThe cats's sleeping.
6.Choose the correct word to complete the sentence: 'The bird flew from ___ nest.'
Easy
- Aits
- Bit's
- Cits'
- Dits's
7.Which word is the contraction of 'they are'?
Easy
- Atheir
- Bthere
- Cthey're
- Dtheyr'e
8.Select all the words that are contractions. (select all that apply)
Medium
- Awe'll
- Bwouldn't
- Chers
- Dit's
- Eours

复习笔记

## Apostrophes: Contractions and Possession An **apostrophe** (') is a small punctuation mark with two main jobs in English. ### Job 1: Contractions (shortening words) A **contraction** is a shorter way to say two words by joining them and leaving out some letters. The apostrophe shows where the missing letters were. - **do not** → **don't** (the 'o' is missing) - **I am** → **I'm** (the 'a' is missing) - **we will** → **we'll** (the 'wi' is missing) - **would not** → **wouldn't** (the 'o' is missing) **Rule:** Put the apostrophe exactly where the missing letters are, not where the words join. ### Job 2: Possession (showing ownership) Possession means something belongs to someone or something. The apostrophe helps show that. **For one owner (singular):** Add **'s** to the end of the word. - The **dog's** bowl (one dog) - The **girl's** book (one girl) **For more than one owner (plural):** If the word already ends in **s**, just add an apostrophe after the **s**. - The **dogs'** bowls (more than one dog) - The **girls'** books (more than one girl) **For irregular plurals** (words that don't end in **s** when plural): Add **'s**. - The **children's** game (children is plural, but doesn't end in s) - The **men's** toilet ### The Its/It's Trap - **it's** = **it is** (contraction). Example: **It's** raining. - **its** = shows possession (belongs to it). Example: The dog wagged **its** tail. **Remember:** Possessive pronouns like **hers**, **theirs**, **ours**, **yours** never take an apostrophe. They already show possession. ### Quick Check - **don't** → contraction (missing 'o') - **the cat's whiskers** → one cat owns the whiskers - **the cats' whiskers** → more than one cat owns the whiskers - **the children's toys** → children is plural, but no 's', so add 's Practice by finding apostrophes in your reading and deciding if they show contraction or possession!

apostrophe: A punctuation mark (') used to show missing letters in contractions or to show possession.
contraction: A shortened word made by joining two words and leaving out some letters, with an apostrophe showing where the letters are missing (e.g., don't = do not).
possession: Showing that something belongs to someone or something, using an apostrophe (e.g., the dog's bowl).
singular: One person or thing (e.g., dog).
plural: More than one person or thing (e.g., dogs).
irregular plural: A plural that does not end in 's', like children or men.
possessive pronoun: Words like hers, theirs, ours, yours that show ownership without an apostrophe.
its: The possessive form of 'it', meaning belonging to it (e.g., its tail).
it's: A contraction for 'it is' (e.g., it's raining).

闪卡

What are the two jobs of an apostrophe?

An apostrophe can show missing letters in a contraction (like don't) or show possession (like the dog's bowl).

What is a contraction?

A contraction is a short way to write two words by putting them together and leaving out some letters. An apostrophe shows where the letters are missing.

Where does the apostrophe go in a contraction?

The apostrophe goes where the missing letters were. For example, 'do not' becomes 'don't' because the 'o' is missing.

Write the contraction for 'do not'.

don't

Write the contraction for 'it is'.

it's

Write the contraction for 'we will'.

we'll

Write the contraction for 'would not'.

wouldn't

What does 'it's' mean?

It's means 'it is' or 'it has'. For example, 'It's raining.'

What does 'its' mean?

Its shows possession, like 'the dog chased its tail'. It does not have an apostrophe.

Why does 'its' (possessive) not have an apostrophe?

Because 'its' is a possessive pronoun like 'hers' or 'theirs'. Possessive pronouns never take an apostrophe.

What does an apostrophe show in 'the dog's bowl'?

It shows that the bowl belongs to one dog. This is singular possession.

How do you show that one dog owns a bowl?

Write 'the dog's bowl' – add an apostrophe and an 's' to the noun.

How do you show that two or more dogs own a bowl?

Write 'the dogs' bowl' – add an apostrophe after the plural 's'.

What is the difference between 'dog's' and 'dogs''?

'Dog's' is singular possessive (one dog owns something). 'Dogs'' is plural possessive (more than one dog own something).

How do you show possession with a plural that does not end in 's', like 'children'?

Add an apostrophe and an 's': 'the children's game'.

Write the possessive form of 'men'.

men's (as in 'the men's room')

Write the possessive form of 'women'.

women's (as in 'the women's team')

Write the possessive form of 'people'.

people's (as in 'the people's choice')

Which of these is correct: 'hers' or 'her's'?

hers – possessive pronouns like hers, theirs, ours never take an apostrophe.

Which of these is correct: 'theirs' or 'their's'?

theirs – no apostrophe needed.

Which of these is correct: 'ours' or 'our's'?

ours – no apostrophe needed.

Fix the mistake: 'The cats toys are on the floor.'

The cats' toys are on the floor. (Add an apostrophe after 'cats' to show the toys belong to more than one cat.)

Fix the mistake: 'The childs book is on the table.'

The child's book is on the table. (Add an apostrophe and 's' to show one child owns the book.)

Fix the mistake: 'Its a sunny day.'

It's a sunny day. (Use 'it's' for 'it is'.)

Fix the mistake: 'The boys are playing.' (No possession) Should there be an apostrophe?

No. 'Boys' is just a plural, not possessive. No apostrophe needed.

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