There are two reasons to use apostrophes.

Do you know either one?

 Apostrophes
We use apostrophes for:

● contraction (pushing two words together)

● possession (showing belonging)
 Apostrophes
Contraction
• When you push two words together, you use an apostrophe
to show where the letters have been omitted (left out).
• Remember — the apostrophe should go where the missing
letters are, NOT between the two words being joined
together.
Can you think of any examples?
 Apostrophes
What are the contracted Remember — the
apostrophe shows where
forms of these words? you took out (omitted)
one or more letters.

they are = they will =

do not = don’t they’re they’ll
should not = we are =
they have = they’ve shouldn’t we’re
should have = you are =
are not = aren’t should’ve you’re
would not =
can not = can’t wouldn’t
 Apostrophes
Possession
When something belongs to someone or something,
you should use an apostrophe to show this.

For example: Jasons pencil Jason’s pencil

This is incorrect. This is correct. The apostrophe shows

There is only one Jason. that the pencil belongs to Jason.
 Apostrophes
Add an apostrophe to each of the phrases below to
show possession.
● Adriana’spencil
Adrianas pencil (the
(thepencil
pencilbelongs
belongstotoAdriana)
Adriana)
● Salmas bookbag
Salma’s bookbag (the(thebookbag
bookbagbelongs
belongstotoSalma)
Salma)
● Franklins laptop
Franklin’s laptop (the
(thelaptop
laptopbelongs
belongstotoFranklin)
Franklin)
● Khaliyahs desk
Khaliyah’s desk (the
(thedesk
deskbelongs
belongstotoKhaliyah)
Khaliyah)
 Apostrophes
Where do you think the apostrophe goes if the person’s
name already ends in ‘s’?

E.g. Miss Miles’s

Miles classroom
classroom(the(the
classroom
classroom
belongs
belongs
to Miss
to Miss
Miles)
 Apostrophes
Add an apostrophe and ‘s’ to each of the phrases below to
show possession.
● James’s house
● James house
● Chris’s lunch
● Chris lunch
● Mr Jones’s computer
● Mr Jones computer
 Apostrophes
Where do you think the apostrophe goes if you want to show
that more than one person owns something?

E.g. The teachers’

teachers room?
room?(the
(theroom
roombelongs
belongstotothe
theteachers)
teachers)

If there is more than

one of something,
this is called a
plural.
 Apostrophes
Add an apostrophe to each of the phrases below
to show possession.

the
thecat’s
cats bowl the cats
cats’bowl
bowl