18 Possessive Apostrophes
KEY CONCEPTS
Apostrophes are used to show possession. Before you add an apostrophe to a noun, be sure the apostrophe is needed to show ownership.
Following are some examples of correct possessive apostrophe usage in Associated Press style:
one reporter’s notebook
(reporter – singular common noun that does not end in s)
one witness’s testimony
(witness – singular common noun ending in s)
Miley Cyrus’ best songs
(Cyrus – singular or plural proper noun ending in s)
four designers’ contest submissions
(designers – plural common noun ending in s)
the cattle’s water trough
(cattle – plural common noun not ending in s)
Do apostrophe’s ever confu’se you? Do you sometime’s place apo’strophes in the wrong place’s?
Our three lessons about apostrophes may help you understand why those two opening questions are filled with errors. This first lesson covers how to use apostrophes to show possession.
Here’s an opening question.
Let’s try one more question to check your understanding.
Study the following verbatim guidance from The Associated Press Stylebook, and then you’ll answer a question based on these three items:
SINGULAR COMMON NOUNS ENDING IN S: Add ’s: the virus’s reach, the virus’s spread; the witness’s answer, the witness’s story.
SINGULAR PROPER NAMES ENDING IN S: Use only an apostrophe: Achilles’ heel, Agnes’ book, Ceres’ rites, Descartes’ theories, Dickens’ novels, Euripides’ dramas, Hercules’ labors, Jesus’ life, Jules’ seat, Kansas’ schools, Moses’ law, Socrates’ life, Tennessee Williams’ plays, Xerxes’ armies.
NOUNS PLURAL IN FORM, SINGULAR IN MEANING: Add only an apostrophe: mathematics’ rules, measles’ effects.
This next question will help you understand how journalists use apostrophes with singular nouns that end in s.
Let’s say you have a friend named Charles who wrote a non-fiction book, and you have read it.
The next flip-card question will clarify an additional rule for plural nouns that do not end in s.
As a general rule, for any common nouns (singular or plural) that do NOT end in s, you should add an apostrophe and an s to make them possessive – such as one dog‘s tail, one woman‘s car, several children‘s stories, three people’s cars or a women‘s quintet).
If a plural noun ends in s, though, you only need to add an apostrophe to show possession – such as the players’ helmets or the members‘ benefits.
We’ll finish this chapter with a couple of questions related to the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Here’s your last question to provide you with a reminder.
Part of learning how to use possessive apostrophes correctly is learning when NOT to use an apostrophe. You don’t need to add an apostrophe if you are only adding an s to a noun to make it plural, such as Razorback to Razorbacks in the example above.
MORE PRACTICE FOR PROFICIENCY
Below are additional usage questions based on this chapter. These questions may help you study for course assignments or a proficiency exam.
(NOTE – The automated grading on the exercise above may seem different than a standard right/wrong format. It will still display your correct and incorrect responses, though. Don’t worry about your calculated score. Just focus on learning.)
Additional Practice
Advance through the following set of practice questions by using the forward button or clicking on sections of the control bar:
WRITING EXERCISE
1. Compose a single sentence about cheese belonging to more than one mouse. Use a possessive apostrophe to show ownership of the cheese. (HINT – Use a dictionary to ensure that you use the correctly spelled word for the plural form of mouse.)
2. Compose a single sentence about several photographers who share the same workspace. Use a possessive apostrophe to show ownership of the workspace.
3. Compose a single sentence about a man named Julius Poiches, who owns a Corvette. Use a possessive apostrophe to show ownership of the Corvette.
4. In two tightly constructed sentences, explain your key takeaway from this chapter. Do not use any first-person pronouns (such as I, me, my or mine) in your writing.
