Set IV, 13

THE APOSTROPHE

POSSESSIVE NOUNS ALWAYS TAKE APOSTROPHES.

1) singular = 's:    Mary's hat, boy's book, secretary's typewriter, Charles's aunt
2) plurals which use an "s" = ':    boys' games, Smiths' house, secretaries' typewriters
3) plurals which don't need an "s" = 's:    men's meeting, mice's tails, children's story

POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS (such as MY, YOUR, THEIR, HER, ITS, YOURS, THEIRS, OURS, HERS, HIS, etc.) NEVER take apostrophes.

His car is outside. That dog is theirs. The cat hurt its paw.

CONTRACTIONS ALWAYS TAKE APOSTROPHES. (Contractions combine two words into one. The apostrophe shows that a letter has been left out.)

1) it is = it's
2) he does not = he doesn't
3) she is going = she's going
4) 1963 = '63

For clarity, plurals of letters of the alphabet, abbreviations, and numbers also take apostrophes.

four 7's six A's