Apostrophes

Front

What is an apostrophe?

Back

An apostrophe is a punctuation mark used to indicate possession or the omission of letters in contractions.

Front

When do we use an apostrophe to show possession?

Back

We use an apostrophe to show that something belongs to someone or something, e.g., 'the dog's bone' means the bone of the dog.

Front

What is a contraction?

Back

A contraction is a shortened form of a word or group of words, created by omitting certain letters and replacing them with an apostrophe, e.g., 'can't' for 'cannot'.

Front

How do you form a contraction with 'it is'?

Back

You form the contraction by using 'it's', which combines 'it' and 'is'.

Front

What is the correct contraction for 'they are'?

Back

The correct contraction for 'they are' is 'they're'.

Front

Which is correct: 'its' or 'it's' for possession?

Back

'Its' is used for possession (e.g., 'The dog wagged its tail'), while 'it's' is a contraction for 'it is'.

Front

What does 'didn't' stand for?

Back

'Didn't' is a contraction that stands for 'did not'.

Front

How do you use an apostrophe with plural nouns?

Back

For plural nouns that show possession, add an apostrophe after the 's', e.g., 'the dogs' owner'.

Front

What is the correct way to write 'cannot' as a contraction?

Back

The correct contraction for 'cannot' is 'can't'.

Front

When do you use 'they're'?

Back

'They're' is used as a contraction for 'they are'.