The Dreaded Apostrophe: A Quick Cheatsheet

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I have to start with a rant. If you’re going to correct someone, be sure, first, that you actually got it right yourself. Recently I had breakfast at a lovely bakery not far from where I live. A sign near the tables noted that diners were asked to put their tray back in its place. Some cleverer-than-thou person had added an apostrophe between the “it” and the “s.”

The dreaded apostrophe. Let’s all take a quick refresher class on its use:

Contractions take apostrophes:

• It’s going to rain today!
• I’m reading that book now.
• She’s happy to be leaving at four.
• He can’t finish the assignment.

All of these sentences involve contractions. A contraction is a device showing us that some letters have been omitted, and is used in speaking and in informal writing. It is becomes it’s; I am becomes I’m; she is becomes she’s; cannot becomes can’t.

Noun possessives take apostrophes:

• Mary’s car is in the repair shop.
• My mother-in-law’s letter was short.
• We went to Clara and Tom’s show. (Note that only the second name takes the apostrophe and the s.)
• James’s music is…