Apostrophes

An apostrophe (') is a small mark that we use in writing. When we join two words into one shorter word, the apostrophe shows where the missing letters used to be.

What You'll Learn

• What an apostrophe is and what it looks like
• How to use apostrophes in contractions like don't, it's, and can't
• Where to place the apostrophe in a contraction

When to Use

1. When you say "not": "I don't like spiders." (don't = do not)
2. When you say "it is": "It's raining outside." (it's = it is)
3. When you say "cannot": "She can't reach the top shelf." (can't = cannot)
4. When you say "is" with a name: "Tom's coming to my house." (Tom's = Tom is)

How to Form

To make a contraction, shorten a word or join two words and put an apostrophe where the missing letters were.

Remember: The apostrophe is a little mark that takes the place of the missing letters. It tells the reader, "Some letters were here before!"

Key Rules

1. The apostrophe goes where the letters are removed: In "don't", the apostrophe replaces the "o" in "not". It does not go anywhere else.
2. An apostrophe is not a comma: An apostrophe (') sits high up near the top of the letter. A comma (,) sits at the bottom. They look alike but they are different marks.
3. "It's" always means "it is": When you see "it's" with an apostrophe, it means "it is" or "it has". "It's a sunny day" means "It is a sunny day."
4. "Can't" comes from "cannot": Even though "cannot" is one word, we still use an apostrophe to shorten it to "can't".

Common Mistakes

Clue Words

Words that often use apostrophes in contractions:

not, is, am, are, will, have, has, would

When you see two words like "do not" or "it is" together, you can often join them with an apostrophe.

• "do not" becomes "don't"
• "it is" becomes "it**'s**"
• "I will" becomes "I**'ll**"

Tip: If you are not sure where the apostrophe goes, write out the two full words first. Cross out the letters you want to remove. Put the apostrophe right where those letters were!

Practice Tips

1. Expand the contraction: When you see a word with an apostrophe, try saying the two full words. "Don't" becomes "do not". This helps you check that the apostrophe is in the right spot.
2. Cross-out trick: Write the two full words. Cross out the letters you want to remove. The apostrophe goes right there. "do not" -- cross out the "o" -- "don't".
3. Read aloud: Say the sentence with the full words and then with the contraction. They should sound almost the same. "I cannot swim" and "I can't swim."

Quick Reference