Possessive Errors
When you want to show that someone owns something, always use an apostrophe and an "s." The apostrophe always makes it much easier and faster to show ownership. Look at what happens when you don't use an apostrophe and an "s":
the truck owned by my grandfather
Instead, it's faster and easier to write:
my grandfather's truck
When a noun ends in "s", adding "'s" may make the word sound strange. You can avoid this problem by only adding an apostrophe. For example:
James' friends
When you proofread your work, make sure you have used apostrophes correctly. How would you correct this sentence?
I need to find my mothers hat.
Be careful not to put the apostrophe in the wrong place. The apostrophe should be between the "r" and the "s" in mothers.
In the following sentence the apostrophe should be between the "t" and the "s" in cat because cat is singular:
A cats' life is easy because it sleeps all day.
The only time a possessive ends with an apostrophe is when it is a plural word:
My twin sisters' birthdays are tomorrow.
When two or more people own something together, you use an apostrophe and "s" on the last noun (Rachel and Laura's room). But if the item or idea is different, you need to use an apostrophe "s" with each person. For example:
Although they are sisters, Sue's and Linda's hair colors are different.
Possessive pronouns don't need an apostrophe.
His, hers, its, ours, yours, theirs, and whose are possessive pronouns. They show that someone owns something. That means you don't need to add apostrophes to them. For example:
I want my sundae with chocolate sauce. My sister wants her's with caramel sauce.
Since "hers" is already a possessive pronoun, the correct way to write the sentence would be like this:
My sister wants hers with caramel sauce.
Don't use an apostrophe when you want to make a noun plural.
Be careful not to add an apostrophe when you are writing the plural form of a noun. Remember that apostrophes are only used to show that someone owns something. This sentence is wrong:
Hot air balloon's drifted across the sky for several day's.
Instead write the sentence like this:
Hot air balloons drifted across the sky for several days.
You also don't need to use apostrophes when you are writing the plural form of numbers, letters, and abbreviations. Here are some correct examples:
I have trouble multiplying 9s.
We have reached the Ds section on the spelling list.
My sister has to the take S.A.T.s to get into college.
Reread all of the words you have used with apostrophes. Make sure you have used them correctly.
