Lecture Notes
Proofreading for Apostrophe Errors

There are two main uses for apostrophes.

USE #1: CONTRACTIONS
Use the apostrophes to replace the missing letters.  Do NOT put the apostrophe between the two words that collide.

Example:  did not è did not è didn't
Example:  He would è He would è He'd
Proofreading for missing apostrophes in contractions is pretty easy when you use a computer.  Most spellcheckers will catch contractions that have missing apostrophes because without the apostrophes, the contractions will get flagged as misspelled words.  The only contractions that may not get flagged are it's, let's, I'll and she'd.  Without the apostrophe, its, lets, ill and shed are correctly spelled words with other meanings.  There may be other contractions that a spellcheck may miss, so be careful!

USE #2: POSSESSIVE NOUNS
Proofreading for missing apostrophes in possessive nouns is a bit trickier.  Follow these steps:

  1. Starting at the end of your paper and working backwards, hunt for nouns that end in s.
  2. When you find a noun that ends in s, check to see if it is followed by a second noun.  Look for this pattern:
      3. "a nouns noun" or "the nouns.noun"
  3. Ask yourself, "Does the second noun belong to the first noun (the one with the s)?"
  4. If you answer, "No," to the question in Step 3, skip that noun that ends in s and look for the next one.
  5. If you answer, "Yes," to the question in Step 3, then add the apostrophe. But WHERE?
  6. To figure out exactly where the apostrophe goes, you must say "The (second noun) belongs to the (first noun)" or "the (second noun) OF (first noun)."  Put the apostrophe after the last letter of the first noun.  Then add the s, but ONLY IF you hear that extra s sound.  The table below shows some examples.
Original Error
(without apostrophe)
The (second noun) belongs to the (first noun).
Correct Apostrophe Placement
our neighbors dog The dog belongs to our neighboré. our neighbor’s dog
our neighbors dog The dog belongs to our neighborsé. our neighbors’ dog
the childrens toys The toys belong to the childrené. the children’s toys
last years World Series the World Series OF last yearé last year’s World Series
the bosses daughter the daughter OF the bossé the boss’s daughter
Mr. Reynolds office or
Mr. Reynoldses office		 The office belongs to Mr. Reynoldsé. Mr. Reynolds’ office or
Mr. Reynolds’s office
my families vacation The vacation belongs to my familyé. my family’s vacation

NOTE:  In simple plurals that end in Y, you change the Y to I before you add the ES.  But with possessive nouns, the Y does not change for a singular noun that ends in ’S.

Answers to Exercises
Click HERE to check your answers for the exercises on using apostrophes.

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