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Punctuation & Capitalization

Apostrophes

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An apostrophe (’) is a small punctuation mark that makes a big difference in meaning. It’s used for contractions, showing possession, and sometimes time expressions. Let’s look at how to use it correctly.

1. Apostrophes in contractions

We use an apostrophe when we join two words and leave out some letters. This makes speech and writing faster and more natural.

  • do not → don’t → I don’t know the answer.
  • it is → it’s → It’s raining today.
  • you have → you’ve → You’ve done well!
  • she is → she’s → She’s my sister.
  • they had / would → they’d → They’d never seen snow before.

⚠️ Be careful: The same contraction can mean different things depending on the sentence.

  • He’s tired. (He is)
  • He’s been to Italy. (He has)

2. Apostrophes to show possession

We use an apostrophe + s to show that something belongs to someone or something.

  • This is Lina’s bike.
  • My friend’s house is near the park.

If the noun is plural and ends in “s,” the apostrophe goes after the “s.”

  • The students’ classroom is on the left. (more than one student)

3. Apostrophes with time

We also use apostrophes with time to show a duration:

  • I need an hour’s rest. (one hour)
  • It’s just ten minutes’ walk from here. (ten minutes)

Common mistake: Its vs. It’s

✅ It’s = it is or it has
✅ Its = something belongs to it (no apostrophe!)

  • It’s my favorite movie. (= It is)
  • The cat washed its paws. (= possessive)

💡 Tip

🔸 Apostrophe = something is missing (it’s, can’t, you’ve) or someone owns something (Anna’s, teacher’s)
🔸 Never use an apostrophe with its when it shows possession!

Test your knowledge 📝

Question 1 sur 8Score: 0/8

The bird spread ___ wings and flew away.

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