Use apostrophes to indicate possession. There are two basic methods that make use of an apostrophe in constructing the possessive. Most words use an apostrophe followed by an "s" at the end of the word, although many situations require simply an apostrophe. Place an apostrophe before the "s" when you are indicating a singular possessive. "Jacob's shoes are very cool." The shoes belong to Jacob (singular: one person). "I found the dog's old bone buried in the backyard." The bone belongs to the dog (singular: a single dog). Place an apostrophe after the "s" when you are dealing with a possessive plural case that has an "s" at the end (e.g., book to books, tree to trees). But if the word is plural without an "s" at the end, this rule does not apply; add an apostrophe and an "s" as if the word were singular. "Look at all of the sailors' boats!" The boats belong to the sailors (plural: there is more than one sailor). "The children's dresses were pink and frilly." The dresses belong to the children, but since the word children is already plural without having to add an "s" at the end, this is an exception.

when you was to show you own something: ex: dark panther's slave is kaly :D

10. Use an apostrophe to replace a letter or a figure omitted on purpose. '37 flood (1937) summer of '83 (1983) the '40s (the 1940s) 11. Use an apostrophe to form plurals of letters, numbers and words. In her four years of college, she made 15 A's, 21 B's and seven C's. The professor had an unconscious habit of overusing a word. During one class session, students counted 27 what's in his lecture. 12. Use an 's to form the possessive of words that are spelled the same in both singular and plural form. The mother's deer's (singular possessive) fawn lay hidden in the tall grass. The lost sheep's (plural possessive) owners are glad to get them back. EXAMPLES: **To form the possessive of relative and personal pronouns. Wrong: our's it's who's your's their's Correct: ours its whose yours theirs Good luck!

5. Add an 's to the last word to make compound nouns possessive. brother-in-law's father-in-law's sister-in-law's mother-in-law's secretary of state's attorney general's NOTE: DO NOT CONFUSE POSSESSIVES WITH PLURALS . TO MAKE SUCH COMPOUND NOUNS PLURAL, ADD AN s TO THE FIRST WORD. sons-in-law attorneys general daughters-in-law secretaries of state 6. Add an 's to the last noun to indicate joint ownership Pete and Bob's Drive-In Ed and Wilma's Coffee Shop Willard and Dean's law firm 7. Add an 's to each name to indicate separate ownership Pete's and Bob's cars Ed's and Wilma's computers Willard's and Dean's offices 8. Add the apostrophe even when t he possessive follows the word it modifies. The best drawings are usually Arleen's and Baxter's. Is the design Charlton's or Reginald's? 9. Use an apostrophe to replace the missing letter(s) in a contraction. couldn't (could not) she'd (she would) don't (do not) something's (something is) here's (here is) we'll (we will) I'm (I am) won't (will not)

Apostrophes are deceptively complicated and easily confused - they are relatively extensive and mastering them requires patience and persistence. HOW TO USE APOSTROPHES 1. Add an 's to make possessive both singular and plural common nouns and indefinite pronouns whose spelling does not end with an s. Singular Nouns Plural Nouns Indefinite Pronouns child's children's anyone's another's man's men's everyone's other's woman's women's someone's everyone else's 2. Add an apostrophe to make possessive a plural noun ending in s, es or ies. boys' businesses' agencies' girls' Joneses' companies' 3. Add an apostrophe to make possessive singular proper nouns whose spelling ends in s. Hayes' Jones' Willis' Lucas' Add an 's to make possessive singular proper nouns whose spelling ends in s. Hayes's Jones's Willis's Lucas's 4. Add an 's to a singular common noun ending in s. However, if the next word starts with an s, add only an apostrophe. actress's best role actress' steel case compass's great value compass' steel case