Apostrophe Notes, Quizzes & Revision
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English Punctuation — Apostrophe
Subject: English | Topic: Punctuation | Subtopic: Apostrophe
Target: Kenyan learners, age 10 🇰🇪 ✏️
What is an apostrophe?
An apostrophe (') is a small mark used in two main ways:
- To make contractions — short forms of two words (e.g., "do not" → "don't").
- To show possession — to show that something belongs to someone or something (e.g., "Amina's book").
1. Apostrophe for contractions
We remove a letter (or letters) and put an apostrophe instead.
Examples
- do not → don't
- it is → it's
- we are → we're
- let us → let's
Be careful!
Do not use an apostrophe for possessive pronouns: yours, theirs, ours, its (these have no apostrophe).
Examples in sentences:
- I'm going to school. (I am)
- It's raining in Nairobi. (It is)
- Don't forget your uniform.
- Let's visit the market this Saturday.
2. Apostrophe for showing possession
Put an apostrophe to show that something belongs to someone or something.
Singular nouns
Add 's to show one person or thing owns something.
- Amina's book (the book belongs to Amina)
- The boy's ball (the ball belongs to the boy)
- Nairobi's weather (the weather of Nairobi)
Plural nouns
If the plural noun already ends in s, put the apostrophe after the s. If the plural is irregular, add 's.
- Teachers' lounge (the lounge of the teachers)
- Dogs' owner (the owner of the dogs)
- Children's games (irregular plural: children → children's)
Names ending in s
You can write Chris's bag or sometimes Chris' bag. Many teachers prefer Chris's.
3. Common mistakes to watch
- Do not use apostrophe for plurals: books (not book's for more than one book).
- It's vs its:
- It's = it is (It's cold).
- Its = belonging to it (The tree lost its leaf).
- Your vs you're:
- Your = belonging to you (Your pen).
- You're = you are (You're clever).
Quick rules
- Use an apostrophe to show missing letters in contractions (don't, she's).
- Use an apostrophe + s ('s) for most singular possessives (mama's phone).
- For plural nouns already ending in s, put the apostrophe after the s (parents' meeting).
- Do not use apostrophes for regular plurals (two pens, five books).
- Use its for belonging and it's for it is.
Practice — choose the correct form
- ______ going to the match. (Its / It's)
- The _____ shoes are new. (boys' / boy's)
- Do not write ____ pens. (pen's / pens)
- The _____ uniforms are clean. (students' / student's)
- Is that ____ kite? (your / you're)
Show answers
- It's going to the match. (It's = it is)
- The boys' shoes are new. (more than one boy → boys')
- Do not write pens. (plural = pens, no apostrophe)
- The students' uniforms are clean. (more than one student → students')
- Is that your kite? (your = belonging to you)
Remember: Apostrophes are helpers — they make words shorter and show who owns what. Use them carefully and you will write more clearly. 😊