Apostrophes 1 Apostrophes 3 uses –Missing letters You’re ready (= You are ready) Let’s go (= Let us go) Who’s there? (= Who is there?) It’s time for coffee (= It is time for coffee) –Possession Boyle’s law(the law of Boyle) Today’s society(the society of today) –Plurals of lower case letters/omission of numbers Remember to cross your t’s Summer of ’85 Class of ‘98 ’

Apostrophes 2 1Missing Letters What is he doing? This contracted form is generally not used in formal writing. What’s he doing? It has been raining all day. It’s been raining all day. I have read it.I’ve read it. He has gone.He’s gone. He would not look.He wouldn’t look.

Apostrophes 3 2Possession WrongRight The Mayors carThe Mayor’s car Johns sisterJohn’s sister The papers conclusionThe paper’s conclusion Einsteins theoryEinstein’s theory

Apostrophes 4 More Examples WrongRight The childrens bagsThe children’s bags A years salaryA year’s salary Someone elses ideaSomeone else’s idea A months leaveA month’s leave My moneys worthMy money’s worth

Apostrophes 5 Exception Its/It’s –No apostrophe when possessive The group made its decision. (= decision of the group) The dog liked its house (= house of dog) –But use an apostrophe when a letter is missing It’s sunny today (= it is a sunny day) It’s a hard test (= it is a hard test)

Apostrophes 6 Plurals of lower case letters and Omission of numbers The word Mississippi has four ss. The word Mississippi has four s’s. She dots her is carefully She dots her i’s carefully and crosses her ts. and crosses her t’s.

Apostrophes 7 Be careful She got two As and three Bs. The group has three PhDs. My sister and I have identical IQs Note: plural of CAPITAL letters

Apostrophes 8 Omission of numbers 02 Olympics’02 Olympics The crash of 86The crash of ’ Vintage’75 Vintage

Apostrophes 9 Test Yourself Try the interactive test – g_apostEX1.htmlhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/interact/ g_apostEX1.html Second test – g_apostEX2.html