In Plain English please - when is it correct to use an apostrophe?

[MascaraOHara]

I know I'm a bit silly but I've always wondered if I get it right and I dare not ask anyone in RL but sometimes when I see "...Oh and that rogue apostrophe" (or something similar) and I look at the poor old rogue apostrophe thinking quietly to myself but how do I know you're a rogue(?)

I obviously missed a very important lesson when I was in primary school.

Thank you please don't tut at my stupidity.

I was educated at state schools and my use of apostrophes and other grammar is pretty good, better than that of many of the graduate professionals I've worked for as a secretary (although I'm a graduate too).

The parts of my education that were most useful in this, though, were

• learning foreign languages - in French you need to know which bits of sentences belong with which to spell words correctly, though I can't give an example of how that works it certainly helps in accurate audio transcription

• formal secretarial training, which included a lot more attention to grammar and apostrophes and common spelling errors than there was in school - exams included Business English and the shorthand/audio exams also included things that we had to understand and think about to type back correctly

..and parents have a huge role to play. My mother and then now me with my own children talk a lot about grammar, point out things we see that are wrong such as "for free" or "on the weekend" and then gradually your children learn.

That's the most useful thing everyone should remember - every time you see it's read it as it is. If it sounds wrong then you've got it wrong. it's without meaning it is does not exist.

its/it's is the hardest one to teach, for some reason, even though I always tell my students just what you said, Xenia...

They all hate apostrophes with a passion. I get lots of students who write lot's of essay's with apostrophe's everywhere just in case...

to remember that 'its' (meaning belonging to it) does NOT take an apostrophe, think of it as the same as his or hers, which do not take an apostrophe.

As others have said, the apostrophe denotes that either a letter is missing or possession. I actually prefer 's's' to 's' '
it looks more sensible and elegant IMO.

It's and its shouldn't be too hard if you go by this rule- it's always means "it is" and makes sense in context when read as those two words. Any other "its " is the one without the apostrophe. Maybe it is simpler tos ay use "its" with no apos. unless you mean it to read "it is".

Yes, even better. Also it's can be it has. "It's been a bad day" so I suppose the it is hint of mine wasn't entirely accurate.

glyn - that's interesting. So it would be correct to write this about two families, the Smith family and the Williams family:
The Smiths' car.
and
The Williams' car.
Even though you would SAY
The Williamses car? (Have left out apostrophe on purpose.)
Is that correct now?

How would you WRITE (i.e. not say) that there are a lot of Smiths and Williamses in the phone book? Lots of Smiths and Williams?

Yes, that is how I would always write it. Also your second one is right - it is just a plural so no apostrophe goes anywhere near a plural if it's just plural.

I shall use my new grammar skills to keep up with the Jones

The Smiths' car means that more than one family called Smith have one car (they car-share?) or do you mean the Smith's car? (one family, one car?)

same for the Williams' car. Is their name William or Williams? If the name is Willimas yoyu could have the Williams' car or the Williams's car.

This has been brill, thanks! can't believe there was so much response

ahhh, I can go to bed happy tonight.... I find I always want to correct people when they mis-use an apostrophe. I was helping out in my ds's class and the teacher checked to make sure I was using an apostrophe correctly, I totally understood her urge, yet at the same time was just a bit indignant!!

Best one I've seen is

"Bed's, chair's and mattresse's"

Misplaced apostrophes drive me INSANE, especially when you see them in newspapers (journos should have no excuse). My faves are sofa's, light's and potato's, all

Fucking half wit's

A little treasure for you to sign off with, spotted on a flower shop near Slough:

Julies Floris't

but also