Apostrophes: Plural vs. Possessive

Apostrophes are punctuation marks used to indicate possession or the omission of letters in a word. However, they can be confusing when it comes to plural and possessive forms. Here are some guidelines to help you use apostrophes correctly:

Plural Form

When you want to indicate that there is more than one of something, you simply add an "s" to the end of the word. For example:

• One cat, two cats

• One book, two books

In these cases, you do not need to use an apostrophe.

Possessive Form

When you want to indicate that something belongs to someone or something, you use an apostrophe. The placement of the apostrophe depends on whether the noun is singular or plural.

Singular Nouns

If the noun is singular, you add an apostrophe and an "s" to the end of the word. For example:

• The cat's tail

• The book's cover

Plural Nouns

If the noun is plural, you add an apostrophe after the "s" at the end of the word. For example:

• The cats' tails

• The books' covers

Note that if the plural noun does not end in "s," you add an apostrophe and an "s" to the end of the word. For example:

• The children's toys

• The men's hats

Plural and Possessive Nouns on the SAT

Questions testing plural vs possessive nouns occur less frequently than ones testing pronouns, but they do appear from time to time. Although these questions may seem complicated, they are actually fairly straightforward. Either one or two nouns can be underlined, with the answers providing various combinations of possessives and plurals.

It's vs Its

• It's is a contraction of "it is" or "it has". It should not be used as a possessive pronoun.

• Its is a possessive pronoun that shows ownership or possession. It does not have an apostrophe.

• Its is used to describe something that belongs to or is associated with something previously mentioned.

• Its can also be used to describe a characteristic or quality of something.

• It's is often confused with its. Remember that it's always means "it is" or "it has".

• To make it's plural, add an "s" after the apostrophe. For example, "The dog ate its bone" becomes "The dogs ate their bones".

• To make its plural, simply add an "s" at the end of the word. For example, "The company increased its profits" becomes "The companies increased their profits".

• When using its as a possessive pronoun, make sure to use it correctly in the sentence. For example, "The cat licked its paw" is correct, while "The cat licked it's paw" is incorrect.

• Remember that apostrophes are not used to make words plural. For example, "The dog ate bone's" is incorrect. The correct sentence is "The dog ate bones".

They're, Their, and There

• They're is a contraction of "they are". It is used to indicate a plural subject and a verb in the present tense. Example: "They're going to the park."

• Their is a possessive pronoun. It is used to indicate ownership by a plural subject. Example: "Their car is parked outside."

• There is an adverb that indicates a place or location. It can also be used to introduce a sentence. Example: "There is a book on the table." or "There are many reasons why I love to read."

It is important to use these words correctly in order to avoid confusion and convey the intended meaning in written and spoken communication.