Using Apostrophes Correctly

Apostrophes have two main uses:

Indicating possession (e.g. The student s paper) Indicating a contraction (e.g. She s writing a paper) Contractions should be avoided in academic writing, but possessive apostrophes are used in all types of writing. Make sure to use them correctly, especially when dealing with plurals and abbreviations.

Use a possessive apostrophe

With singular nouns This study examines the company s efforts to expand.
I highly recommend Sharon s salon.

With plural nouns My parents support was essential.
The crowd s applause could be heard for miles.

With abbreviations and acronyms In the last quarter, BP s profits dropped.

Don t use an apostrophe

To pluralize nouns The results are surprising.
Remember what happened three Christmases ago?

To pluralize acronyms Several NGOs were present at the conference.
We can identify the following KPIs.

To pluralize decades The 1920s was a golden age for art.
During the 2010s politics slid into confusion.

With possessive pronouns The cobra reared its head.
Whose snake is that?

Possessive apostrophes with singular nouns

Apostrophes are used to indicate that something belongs to something or someone else.

To indicate possession with a singular noun, add s at the end of the word. This also applies to names and other proper nouns.

The car s windscreen is foggy.

Rome s backstreets are charming.

A series of actions led to Captain Cook s demise.

The princess s role has become less traditional.

With proper nouns that ends in s, most style guides including APA and MLA recommend adding s.

Doris s new haircut was alarming.

Mr Jones s new dog won t stop barking.

The details of Jesus s life remain a matter of debate.

Some guides allow you to add only an apostrophe in cases where the extra s would be awkward to pronounce aloud. If in doubt, however, adding s is the safest choice.

Note that when you are citing a source, the apostrophe is attached to the author s name, not to the in-text citation.

This paper builds on Adams (2017) s research.

This paper builds on Adams s (2017) research.

Possessive apostrophes with plural nouns

Most plural nouns already end in s. In this case, to indicate possession, add only an apostrophe to the end of the word. This also applies to words where the singular and the plural take the same form.

The flood destroyed the beavers dam.

We present new evidence of the pirates intentions.

The two species habitats are very different.

The same rule applies to proper nouns and singular entities that end with a plural noun.

The Smiths house is old and creaky.

The United States military budget is far larger than any other country s.

If a plural noun does not end in s, add s as you would for a singular noun. This also applies to collective nouns, uncountable nouns and acronyms.

The sheep s wellbeing is a priority.

The children s toys were broken.

Pollen s harmful effects are well known.

The ANC s history is complex and controversial.