quick... need to teach when to use/not to use apostrophe s

[sansouci]

Is there any particular rule about this? You never say "it's" except as a contraction for "it is", apostrophe s is possessive otherwise... oh, help.

The apostrophe is replacement for a missing letter or letters connecting two words do not = don't

Also the apostrophe can act as a little fishing hook to hold on to things that belong to the word it is ending.... like Jenny's book.

(obviously I know you know this but this is how I would explain it!) hth

Also the apostrophes for plurals go after the word: ie the boys' books.

Thanks. This is for my 43 yr old banker student whom I teach on Friday lunchtimes & instead of doing my lesson plan while the dcs are out, I'm mucking about on MN. I'd like to be able to give her some pat little grammatical rule but I'm probably the world's only English teacher who's pants at teaching grammar.

Nope Sans Souci - I was an Eng Teacher too, and although I instinctively know what is right (at least most of the time) I can't necessarily explain it - I wasn't taught it either!

Apostrophe has two uses:

(1) To indicate a missing letter or letters ('don't', 'can't', 'won't', etc.). 'It's' is included in this category; i.e. 'it's' always means 'it is'.

(2) To show possession, as in 'Ellbell's grammar obsession'. The apostrophe goes before the 's' when the word is singular, but after the 's' when the word is plural: 'The boy's coat' but 'The boys' coats'. When a word is plural but doesn't end in an 's' the apostrophe comes before the 's' indicating possession: 'the women's books'. When a singular word ends in an 's' it's OK either to add another 's' after the apostrophe, or to put the apostrophe after the 's'. 'Mr Jones's cat' or 'Mr Jones' cat'. The EXCEPTION here is 'its' which means 'belonging to it', but doesn't have an apostrophe. 'The dog chased its tail'.

phew, pandag. thought I might have been the only grammar fraud! I do love teaching though.

re; its and it's , you use the apostrophe for the contraction of 'it is', but NOT for the possesive 'its', because 'it' is a pronoun not a noun, and you never use apostrophe of posession for a pronoun (eg, hers, theirs, his).

Thats the one I always have to think about!

hth

Ellbell! yay! can I quote you? did that come straight from your head or have you got a great sourcebook somewhere?

Thx also to astrophe...

I was told the possessive is short for his - in the old days someone would write "John his book" in their book. I don't know if this is actually true, but it did help me remember it!

Wont is the one that always gets me. It isn't really a contraction is it so does it or does it not have an apostrophe?

?? It's a contraction of "will not". Of course it has an apostrophe. Unless you are referring to the archaic "wont" meaning inclination or desire, i.e. "as is my wont" - when it doesn't.

Quote away sansouci. Straight off the top of my head... (but I am a tad obssessive)

Ellbell's explanantion is perfect. My english teacher at school taught us to turn the phrase around, which I have always found useful:
the banana of the monkey = the monkey's banana
the banana of danceswithmonkeys = danceswithmonkeys' banana

So the apostrophe comes at the end of the word that possesses the banana, whether singular or plural, when you turn the phrase back.

My explanation has probably just confuddled everyone, but it works for me

I just saw a very expensive looking sign outside a cafe advertising ''latte's, pannini's baguette's..''
Apostrophes with plurals- my pet hate!

I was stood outside Cardif Hilton Tuesday lunchtime, deperately trying to rub off the apostrophe that had been inserted into the word menus on a blackboard. Unfortunately it had been painted, not chalked, on!

noonar - we are singing from the same hymn-sheet, and Lynne Truss is playing the organ.

It's so simple - it irritates me so much when people get it wrong. Even people who supposedly have degrees... including teachers.

Hands up who here has ever sent back a school communication with spelling/grammar/punctuation corrections on it? I know I have...

It wasn't from my last head, by any chance, Unquietdad?? She couldn't spell either...

oh god thsi is my real bugbear

i once taught a child who wrote gras's

after i literally screamed, she never did it again

not ALL teachers are unable to 'do' apostrophes......

Oh god, my last comment sounded like fellow-teacher bashing! After my comments on the 'presents for teachers' thread, I should be ashamed of myself. Oops.

Not intended as a general pop at teachers here either! DW is one!

i know!!!

did someone call?

popsy - rofl at the thought of you screaming over gras's. at least it worked.

actually despite my name I think we should eliminate the things. or, if we can't do that then all kids should be taught to use it less. I don't mind reading things like "dont" or "Emmas book", but "apple's" really upsets my delicate consitution.

snap senora
i would prefer 'if in doubt, leave it out'

we also have a small area of wall in my classroom to post our findings of ridiculous apostrophe usage

one boy a few years ago, made his dad order new signs for his shop after discover ridiculous apostrophe use