Apostrophes can be used in three ways: to form contractions, to create plurals, and to show possession.* Read up on the details below and then take our quiz!
Apostrophes are used to form contractions—that is, words that are shortened by omitting one or more letters—for example, you’re for you are, ma’am for madam, tellin’ for telling, and ’til for until.
When the apostrophe is at the start of the word—as in ’til—be sure that the punctuation mark is inserted correctly. It should look like a single closing quotation mark, not an opening one.
Apostrophes are used to form the plurals of letters:
Accommodation has two c’s and two m’s.
Mind your p’s and q’s.
She had three scarlet A’s on her back.
But apostrophes are not used for the plurals of letters referring to grades or for the plurals of abbreviations containing capital letters:
She got three As.
This program is open to people with MAs and PhDs.
Apostrophes are used to show possession. For singular nouns and irregular plurals (those not ending in s), you should add ’s to the end of the word. For plural nouns ending in s, you should add only an apostrophe:
the cat’s meow
the people’s choice
an old wives’ tale
Note, though, that when a word ending in s is the same in the plural as it is in the singular, you just add an apostrophe:
identity politics’ critics
Also add only an apostrophe for proper names when the name is plural but the entity is singular:
the United States’ policy on China
In MLA style, proper nouns ending in s that are singular follow the general rule and add ’s :
Alexandre Dumas’s novels
Some styles may allow you to add only an apostrophe: Athens’ history, Diogenes’ philosophy, Dumas’ novels.
If two nouns jointly possess something, use only one apostrophe:
My mom and dad’s house
But if each noun possesses something separately, use an apostrophe with each noun:
Smith’s and Johnson’s studies
Remember to use an apostrophe in phrases such as the following:
one week’s vacation (one week of vacation)
And use an apostrophe for the double possessive:
He is a friend of Steve’s (Steve’s is the equivalent of the possessive pronoun his: a friend of his.)
Though practices vary, you may omit the apostrophe when a noun modifies another noun—that is, when the first noun is attributive:
a teachers union (a union for teachers)
*These rules are adapted from the MLA Handbook, 7th edition.
Bernadette Arnone 29 November 2017 AT 09:11 AM
This looks like a great resource!
Jennifer A. Rappaport 29 November 2017 AT 10:11 AM
Glad you find it helpful!
Bethany 06 January 2018 AT 10:01 AM
What about using apostrophes to indicate dialogue within a longer quotation?
Jennifer A. Rappaport 08 January 2018 AT 09:01 AM
Perhaps you mean single quotation marks? Single quotation marks, not apostrophes, are used for quotations within quotations.
David Kaminski 31 January 2018 AT 12:01 PM
"Apostrophes are used to form the plurals of lowercase letters." Can they also be used for capital letters and numbers? Anything else? ;)
Jennifer A. Rappaport 14 March 2018 AT 01:03 PM
Please see the update to the section on plurals above.
Doug 30 March 2018 AT 01:03 PM
Albert Camus' novel or
Albert Camus's novel? Which is correct?
Jennifer A. Rappaport 02 April 2018 AT 06:04 AM
Thanks for your question. The possessive of "Camus" is formed the same way it is for "Dumas," shown above, so you would write "Albert Camus's novel," even though the second "s" is not pronounced. Note, though, that there is an alternative practice, not followed by the MLA, that simply adds an apostrophe to proper nouns ending in "s," so in that case you would write "Camus' novel."
Barbara Mutz Lecky 13 March 2019 AT 02:03 PM
Actually, it is the first "s" in "Albert Camus's novel" which is not pronounced. Or are you saying that neither one is?
Jennifer A. Rappaport 17 March 2019 AT 08:03 AM
Thanks for your comment. I'm saying only one s is pronounced. If you write "Camus' novel," you pronounce the s. If you write "Camus's novel," you pronounce only one s.
Natalia Bondar 19 August 2018 AT 07:08 PM
I would like to ask for clarification about apostrophes used to form plurals of numbers. I understand that an apostrophe is not needed when an "s" follows a number (1900s). Is that correct?
Jennifer A. Rappaport 20 August 2018 AT 07:08 AM
Great question. In MLA style, an apostrophe is not used to form the plural of numbers, so it is correct to write "1900s."
Liz 03 September 2018 AT 11:09 PM
I have a question about surnames that are both plural and posessive. If we are discussing something owned by a couple, would we say the Joneses' garage in MLA? Thanks!
Jennifer A. Rappaport 04 September 2018 AT 07:09 AM
Thanks for your question! Yes, the plural possessive of Jones is Joneses'.
M 06 September 2018 AT 02:09 PM
Where would I put the possessive apostrophe in the case of a work's title that ends in "s"? For example, Wuthering Heights ("Wuthering Heights's narrative arc" or "Wuthering Heights' narrative arc"?)
Jennifer A. Rappaport 07 September 2018 AT 08:09 AM
Excellent question. A title is treated as a singular entity, so adding an 's after the title is technically correct, but appending an 's to any title is awkward. It is usually best to rearrange the sentence: The narrative arc of Wuthering Heights. . . .
Skisall 13 September 2018 AT 02:09 PM
How about the possessive of a proper noun that is already a possessive, e.g., the store Kohl's? If I want to refer to something as belonging to Kohl's, how do I write it?
Jennifer A. Rappaport 13 September 2018 AT 05:09 PM
Great question! I would follow Bryan Garner (in Garner's Modern American Usage, Oxford UP, 2009, p. 46), who recommends leaving the term as is (Kohl's newest location) or rewording (the newest location of Kohl's).
Janet Brode 29 September 2018 AT 10:09 AM
I am curious how you would write the plural possessive of a family name:
Brodes - Brodes' or Brodes's
Jennifer A. Rappaport 30 September 2018 AT 11:09 AM
If the last name is Brode, then the plural is Brodes, and the plural possessive is Brodes'.
If the last name is Brodes, then the plural is Brodeses, and the plural possessive is Brodeses'.
Emilie Adam 07 November 2018 AT 03:11 AM
When referring to decades such as the seventies, eighties or nineties, and when abbreviating, what is the correct way to write these? Would it be 1970s, 70s, and/or '70s?
Jennifer A. Rappaport 07 November 2018 AT 10:11 AM
Great question. We would write either "the 1970s" or "the '70s."
Josh Marowitz 12 November 2018 AT 07:11 PM
You owe what would be a terrific place for information like the information presented in this post? The handbook. I may be overlooking it — it wouldn't the first time that I can't find something right in front of my face — but I can't find that guidance in the handbook itself.
Sarah 12 November 2018 AT 09:11 PM
What do you recommend for a last name that ends in "s" that would also be possessive? For example, would you write "Adams' Family Adventures" or "Adamses' Family Adventures" or "Adams's Family Adventures"? Thanks!
Jennifer A. Rappaport 15 November 2018 AT 11:11 AM
Good question. The apostrophe should go in the word "family": "the Adams family's adventures."
Cheryl 27 November 2018 AT 08:11 PM
When TYPING a possessive word, should there be a space after the word, thus before the 's?
When WRITING a possessive word in cursive print, should there be a space after the word thus before the 's?
Jennifer A. Rappaport 28 November 2018 AT 06:11 AM
No space. You would write "Mark's."
Noel Merry 21 December 2018 AT 12:12 PM
I thought that if a name was one syllable, you use the apostrophe as follow: Ross's or if two syllables, Alexis' or the The Thomas'. Is this incorrect?
Jennifer A. Rappaport 21 December 2018 AT 05:12 PM
Thanks for your question.
The rule does not relate to syllables. It is Ross's (singular possessive), Alexis's (singular possessive), and the Thomases' (plural posssessive).
John M. 06 January 2019 AT 10:01 AM
How do I make something in quotes possessive? For example:
"Mending Wall"'s meter is iambic pentameter.
Is this correct -- close quote followed by 's?
Jennifer A. Rappaport 08 January 2019 AT 07:01 AM
Great question. Technically, it's correct, but it's better to revise to avoid the awkwardness of an apostrophe after a closing quotation mark:
The meter of "Mending Wall" is iambic pentameter.
Dora 26 January 2019 AT 02:01 PM
Which one is correct?
Bring your whole family out of the Wayne Thomas’s Family Skate Night on . .
Bring your whole family out to the Wayne Thomas’ Family Skate Night on . . .
Bring your whole family out to the Wayne Thomases Family Skate Night on . . .
Jennifer A. Rappaport 21 February 2019 AT 09:02 AM
As noted above, in MLA style, proper nouns ending in s that are singular follow the general rule and add ’s, so we would write
Wayne Thomas’s Family Skate Night
J.P.L. 26 February 2019 AT 11:02 AM
I read someplace a few years back that the plural of an acronym will have 's after the letters. For example would plural of an IRA (Individual Retirement Account) be IRA's? The plural of Key Performance Indicator (KPI) plural be KPI's. As opposed to an acronym that would just have the s at the end?
Jennifer A. Rappaport 27 February 2019 AT 07:02 AM
Thanks for your question. In MLA style, the plural of an abbreviation is formed by adding an s: IRAs, KPIs.
David Cicotello 02 April 2019 AT 06:04 PM
So, would this be an acceptable usage? I want to refer to the owner of a major league baseball team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. The proposed usage would be: The Pirates owner was discussing the lack of attendance at recent games.
Jennifer A. Rappaport 03 April 2019 AT 07:04 AM
Thanks for your question, David. Pirates is plural, so the possessive is formed by adding an s: the Pirates' owner.
David Cicotello 03 April 2019 AT 09:04 AM
Is there any case for permitting usage without the apostrophe? Example:
The Cubs player was promoted from AAA to the major league team last week.
Jennifer A. Rappaport 03 April 2019 AT 10:04 AM
Yes. See the section on "Presidents" as an attributive noun in this post:
You could say "the Cubs player" if you mean "the player for the Cubs."
Justine 12 April 2019 AT 12:04 PM
How would you use an apostrophe in this case?
The health care organization is called Catholic Health Initiatives. They have an online job board. So that proper noun possesses that.
I want to say "....Catholic Health Initiatives online job board."
Jennifer A. Rappaport 12 April 2019 AT 12:04 PM
See my comment above about attributive nouns. You could write either
Catholic Health Initiatives online job board
Catholic Health Initiatives' online job board
dawn 07 September 2019 AT 11:09 AM
Are these both okay?
Margarita and Kris's wedding
Margarita and Kris' wedding
According to some sites either is okay
Jennifer A. Rappaport 09 September 2019 AT 07:09 AM
Since the wedding is jointly possessed by Margarita and Kris, MLA style treats "Margarita and Kris" as a single unit and adds an apostrophe s after "Kris": "Margarita and Kris's wedding." In an older convention, described in the fifteenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style (sec. 7.23), the possessive of singular nouns ending in s is formed by adding an apostrophe only, so if you follow that convention, "Margarita and Kris' wedding" would be acceptable.
Florence 21 October 2019 AT 10:10 PM
What would be proper
Emma & Lucy's grandma or Emma's & Lucy's grandma?
Jennifer A. Rappaport 22 October 2019 AT 06:10 AM
Thanks for your question. See the explanation above about joint possession.
Mark 26 March 2020 AT 01:03 PM
My English teacher told me that if you have a name that’s 2 syllables or less, you use only the apostrophe after their name, even if it ends in a “s.”
EX: Brutus’ loneliness vs Brutus’s loneliness
However, when I consulted the Purdue OWL, it said that all names ending in s still have to add the apostrophe s. Which one is correct here?
Jennifer A. Rappaport 27 March 2020 AT 07:03 AM
Thanks for your question. In MLA style, if the name of a person ends in an s, the possessive is formed by adding an apostrophe s, so the possessive of Brutus is Brutus's.
Fred 01 May 2020 AT 11:05 AM
How about this case of ambiguous number: "editors' handbook" or "editor's handbook" (as in a style guide for use by an editor or editors, not as in my copy of the Audubon Guide to Birds or a handbook that I wrote)? Corporations and similar entities are relatively long-lived, and may have multiple editors, so it is reasonable to assume that more than one editor will be using the handbook, either simultaneously or in succession. On the other hand, the handbook is for the use of any one individual occupying the position of editor, and "the editor" may conceptually be thought of in reference to an editorial department, as in "the editor's desk," for instance.
Jennifer A. Rappaport 04 May 2020 AT 07:05 AM
Great point. You might be interested in our post on the styling of Presidents' Day: https://style.mla.org/presidents-day/.
Fred 14 May 2020 AT 02:05 PM
I was indeed interested. Thank you.
Bruce Langguth 23 September 2020 AT 09:09 AM
Please clarify the plural of abbreviations that are written simply as the letters, without the periods. Jose Ramirez had 3 RBI's, or he had 3 RBI? My retirement consists of 3 CD's or 3 CD? I was cycling at 100 RPM's or 100 RPM?
Jennifer A. Rappaport 23 September 2020 AT 03:09 PM
Thanks for your question! In MLA style there is no apostrophe: 3 RBIs, 3 CDs.
Bruce Langguth 24 September 2020 AT 02:09 PM
Thank you for the apostrophe clarification - and the other specific questions was... the "s" is pronounced in speaking, correct?
Jennifer A. Rappaport 24 September 2020 AT 06:09 PM
Yes, it is.
STACEY A KATZEN NIDUS 26 September 2020 AT 08:09 AM
Thank you, Jen! I needed a quick brush up on apostrophes and came across your helpful guide! :)
Mona 17 March 2021 AT 05:03 PM
I am writing a scientific archaeological book. The subject of the book are two Rock Shelters--the North Shelter and the South Shelter. The complete name is the Falls Creek Rock Shelters; shortened to Rock Shelters. If we refer to the Rock Shelters bone tool assemblage do we use an apostrophe like the Rock Shelters' bone tool assemblage, or just the Rock Shelters bone tool assemblage or the Rock Shelter's bone tool assemblage? What if the reference is to assemblages? Do we use Rock Shelters' bone assemblages?
C. Barney Latimer 15 April 2021 AT 03:04 PM
Thank you for your question. The name Rock Shelters is analogous to United States—a singular entity whose name is plural. Therefore, it takes only an apostrophe, so the correct answer is “the Rock Shelters’ bone-tool assemblage.” The possessive is formed the same way whether the noun it modifies—in this case, assemblage—is singular or plural.
Philip C Dixon 04 April 2021 AT 09:04 AM
Which is correct:
My sister Diane's boyfriend is named Jim.
My sister's, Diane, boyfriend is named Jim
My sister, Diane's boyfriend is named Jim.
Amit 22 April 2021 AT 09:04 PM
Should you write the Morken Sisters's home as in Julia and Kate Morken in James Joyce's story "The Dead?" Thank you.
C. Barney Latimer 26 April 2021 AT 05:04 PM
As noted above, for plural nouns ending in s, you should add only an apostrophe, so the correct punctuation in your example is “the Morken sisters’ home.”
janie 27 June 2021 AT 02:06 PM
courts' are in session. ? or court's are in session
Becky Somsel 30 June 2021 AT 06:06 PM
I've received cards addressed to The Somsel's. If I make a family name plural, I don't think it should have an apostrophe. Is that correct? I've even received such cards from teachers! Maybe I'm incorrect?
C. Barney Latimer 07 July 2021 AT 04:07 PM
You're absolutely correct! No apostrophe should be used to make a noun like a family name plural.
Ted Herr 18 August 2021 AT 06:08 PM
Thank you. This was tremendously helpful!
Barbara S. Brown 30 September 2022 AT 11:09 PM
In my philosophy classes, professors always used apostrophes around specific words that they wished to refer to. An example might be: His reference to the 'cogito' brought a clearer understanding. Is there a name or definition for this use?
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