1. ACT English Test Prep
Apostrophes

2. Never use an apostrophe to make a word plural.
Apostrophes on the ACT
Apostrophes can indicate possession and also indicate omitted letters in contractions. The ACT will primarily test your knowledge of possession.
Never use an apostrophe to make a word plural.

3. Possessive Singular Nouns
To make most singular nouns possessive, add -’s.
Ex: cat’s, bird’s

4. Possessive Plural Nouns
Most plural nouns (ending in –s) can be made possessive by adding an apostrophe after the s.
Ex: dogs’
For plural nouns that do not end in –s, such as “women” or “men,” you need to add –’s.
Ex: the women’s locker room

5. Multiple Possessive Nouns
Sometimes you’ll want to indicate possession in more than one noun.
If the possession is shared, and you’re describing ownership as a single unit, only make the last noun possessive.
Nick and Taylor’s dogs (the dogs belong to Nick and Taylor together)
If the possession is not shared, and ownership is separate, make each noun possessive.
Nick’s and Taylor’s dogs (Nick has a dog, and Taylor has a different dog.)

6. Possessives and Pronouns
The possessive case of pronouns does not use an apostrophe. Instead, a different word altogether is used.

7. IT’S / ITS and THEIR / THEY’RE
The ACT will expect you to know the difference between these possessive forms and the contractions.
“It’s” is a contraction for “it is.”
“Its” is possessive.
“They’re” is a contraction for “they are.”
“Their” is possessive.

8. Works Cited
"Punctuation." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, Web. 21 Dec
For more information and examples, please see