Grammar & language

How to use apostrophes

The two jobs of an apostrophe — contractions and possessives — and the common mistakes that trip writers up.

Beginner Start here — assumes no prior knowledge.

Researched & written by BRYME Editorial Desk · 2 min read · Updated 2026-09-04

The apostrophe has just two main jobs, yet it causes more confusion than almost any mark. Learn those two jobs clearly and you will get most apostrophes right.

The two jobs

1. To show missing letters in a contraction. "Do not" → "don't"; "it is" → "it's"; "they are" → "they're"; "will not" → "won't."

2. To show possession. "The dog's bowl" (the bowl of the dog); "Sara's book"; "the company's policy."

How to form a possessive

For a singular noun, add an apostrophe and an "s": the writer's notebook. For a plural noun ending in "s", add only an apostrophe: the writers' notebooks (the notebooks of the writers). For irregular plurals that do not end in "s," add 's: the children's books.

The tricky ones

its vs it's. "It's" always means "it is" or "it has." "Its" is the possessive (without an apostrophe): "The dog wagged its tail." People add an apostrophe to "its" by mistake — do not. Pronouns like "its," "hers," "theirs," and "ours" never take an apostrophe.

Personal pronouns. "Your" (possessive) vs "you're" (you are). "Their" (possessive) vs "there" (place) vs "they're" (they are). These are the most common homophone errors.

Do not use an apostrophe for plurals. "Two writers" — not "two writer's." An apostrophe in a plain plural (like "apple's for 50p") is wrong.

When it is ambiguous

With things, in modern usage, a possessive apostrophe is optional and often avoided: "the company's policy" and "company policy" are both fine. With people and animals, use the apostrophe.

How to check yourself

If you are writing "it's," read it as "it is" — does it still make sense? If not, write "its." The same test works for "they're/their," "you're/your," and "we're/were."

Common mistakes

"it's" for possessive "its." Apostrophes in plural nouns. Apostrophes in possessive pronouns (hers, its, theirs, ours). Confusing your/you're and their/there/they're. Adding an apostrophe to a plural just to be safe.