Apostrophes
51 flashcards covering Apostrophes for the ACT English & Reading section.
Apostrophes are small punctuation marks that serve specific purposes in English writing. They indicate possession, showing that something belongs to someone or something, as in "the dog's bone." They also form contractions, which shorten words by combining them, like "don't" for "do not." Understanding apostrophes helps you write clearly and avoid common errors, which is essential for effective communication and appears frequently in standardized tests.
On the ACT English section, apostrophe questions often test your ability to identify and correct misuse in sentences, such as confusing "its" (possession) with "it's" (it is), or improperly adding apostrophes to plurals. Common traps include overlooking context clues that determine whether an apostrophe is needed, and questions may appear in passage-based formats where you select the best word choice. Focus on practicing with sample sentences to spot these errors quickly, as timing is key.
Remember to always read the full sentence for context when deciding on apostrophe use.
Terms (51)
- 01
Apostrophe
A punctuation mark used to indicate possession or the omission of letters in contractions.
- 02
Contraction
A shortened form of a word or phrase where an apostrophe replaces omitted letters, such as 'don't' for 'do not'.
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Singular possessive
An apostrophe followed by an 's' added to a singular noun to show ownership, like 'dog's bone' for one dog.
- 04
Plural possessive for nouns ending in s
An apostrophe added after the existing 's' in a plural noun to indicate possession, such as 'dogs' toys' for multiple dogs.
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Plural possessive for nouns not ending in s
An apostrophe followed by an 's' added to a plural noun that doesn't end in 's' to show ownership, like 'children's books'.
- 06
Apostrophe in indefinite pronouns
An apostrophe followed by an 's' used with indefinite pronouns like 'someone's' to indicate possession.
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Joint possession
An apostrophe placed after the last noun in a pair to show shared ownership, such as 'Jack and Jill's house'.
- 08
Apostrophe with compound nouns
An apostrophe added to the end of a compound noun to indicate possession, like 'mother-in-law's advice'.
- 09
Apostrophe for plural letters
An apostrophe used before an 's' to form the plural of letters, such as 'Mind your p's and q's'.
- 10
Apostrophe for plural numbers
An apostrophe sometimes used before an 's' for the plural of numbers in certain styles, like 'the 1990's trends', though modern usage often omits it.
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Apostrophe for plural words
An apostrophe before an 's' to pluralize a word used as a word, such as 'no if's, and's, or but's'.
- 12
Its vs. It's
'Its' is a possessive pronoun meaning belonging to it, while 'it's' is a contraction for 'it is' or 'it has'.
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You're vs. Your
'You're' is a contraction for 'you are', whereas 'your' is a possessive pronoun indicating ownership.
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Who's vs. Whose
'Who's' is a contraction for 'who is' or 'who has', while 'whose' is a possessive pronoun showing ownership.
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They're vs. Their vs. There
'They're' is a contraction for 'they are'; 'their' is a possessive pronoun; and 'there' indicates a place or existence.
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Apostrophe in time expressions
An apostrophe used to show possession in phrases involving time, like 'one day's work' or 'two weeks' notice'.
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Apostrophe with names ending in s
An apostrophe followed by an 's' for possessive forms of names ending in 's', such as 'James's book', though some styles use just an apostrophe.
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Common trap: Apostrophe for regular plurals
Apostrophes should not be used to form regular plurals of nouns, like writing 'apple's' instead of 'apples' for more than one apple.
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Strategy for possessive apostrophes
To check if an apostrophe is needed for possession, ask who owns what and place the apostrophe correctly based on singular or plural form.
- 20
Apostrophe in contractions with not
An apostrophe replaces the 'o' in 'not' for contractions like 'can't' for 'cannot' or 'won't' for 'will not'.
- 21
Apostrophe in will contractions
An apostrophe replaces letters in contractions with 'will', such as 'I'll' for 'I will' or 'she'll' for 'she will'.
- 22
Apostrophe in have contractions
An apostrophe replaces letters in contractions with 'have', like 'I've' for 'I have' or 'they've' for 'they have'.
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Apostrophe with is contractions
An apostrophe replaces letters in contractions with 'is', such as 'he's' for 'he is' or 'it's' for 'it is'.
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Irregular possessive forms
Some words have irregular possessive forms, like 'the mouse's trap' for a singular noun ending in 's' sound.
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Apostrophe in holiday possessives
An apostrophe used for possession in holiday-related phrases, such as 'Mother's Day card' to indicate belonging to Mother.
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Double possessive
A construction using both 'of' and a possessive apostrophe, like 'a friend of Bob's', to clarify ownership.
- 27
Apostrophe omission in some possessives
In formal writing, apostrophes may be omitted in certain historical or traditional names, like 'Farmers Market' instead of 'Farmer's Market'.
- 28
Common trap: Apostrophe in decades
Apostrophes are not needed for plurals of decades, so write 'the 1920s' not 'the 1920's'.
- 29
Strategy for contraction errors
Expand suspected contractions in your mind to check if they make sense, like changing 'it's' to 'it is' to verify usage.
- 30
Apostrophe with abbreviations
An apostrophe can indicate possession for abbreviations, such as 'the CEO's decision'.
- 31
Possessive pronouns without apostrophes
Words like 'hers', 'ours', and 'theirs' are possessive pronouns and do not use apostrophes.
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Apostrophe in informal writing
Contractions with apostrophes are common in informal writing but should be used carefully in formal contexts tested on exams.
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Example of correct singular possessive
In the sentence 'The cat's toy is missing', the apostrophe correctly shows that the toy belongs to one cat.
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Example of incorrect plural use
Writing 'The Smith's are coming' is wrong because 'Smith's' implies possession; it should be 'The Smiths are coming' for the plural.
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Apostrophe in quoted possessives
An apostrophe is still used for possession even if the word is quoted, like 'the word 'cat's' meaning'.
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Strategy for joint vs. separate possession
If two nouns share ownership, use an apostrophe only after the second; if separate, use after each.
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Apostrophe with foreign words
Apply standard apostrophe rules to foreign words in English sentences, such as 'the alumni's reunion' for possession.
- 38
Common trap: It's for possession
Many confuse 'it's' as possessive, but it means 'it is'; use 'its' for possession, like 'The dog wagged its tail'.
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Apostrophe in titles
Apostrophes in titles follow the same rules, such as 'The Lion's Tale' for a possessive title.
- 40
Example of contraction in sentence
In 'She's going to the store', the apostrophe in 'She's' correctly represents 'She is'.
- 41
Apostrophe with multiple words
For possession of a phrase, add the apostrophe to the last word, like 'someone else's problem'.
- 42
Strategy for proofreading apostrophes
Read sentences aloud and listen for natural flow; misplaced apostrophes often disrupt it.
- 43
Apostrophe in dates for possession
Use an apostrophe for possessive dates, such as 'the 21st century's challenges'.
- 44
Common trap: Apostrophe in family names
Do not use an apostrophe for plural family names, like 'The Joneses' not 'The Jones's'.
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Apostrophe with one-letter words
An apostrophe can form possessives for one-letter words, like 'A's position in the alphabet'.
- 46
Example of joint possession sentence
In 'Tom and Jerry's adventure', the apostrophe shows the adventure belongs to both.
- 47
Apostrophe in business names
Some business names use apostrophes for possession, like 'McDonald's restaurant', following standard rules.
- 48
Strategy for distinguishing homophones
For words like 'whose' and 'who's', substitute the expansion to see if it fits, such as 'who is'.
- 49
Apostrophe with adjectives as nouns
Treat possessive forms of adjectives used as nouns normally, like 'the rich's privileges' in formal contexts.
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Common trap: Overusing apostrophes
Apostrophes are not needed for simple plurals, so avoid errors like 'I have two CD's' and write 'two CDs'.
- 51
Apostrophe in poetic or archaic use
In literature, apostrophes might indicate omitted letters for rhythm, like 'e'er' for 'ever', but follow modern rules on exams.