Punctuation
Apostrophes
Possession or missing letters — never use an apostrophe to make a regular plural.
Why this happens
Apostrophes show possession or mark contractions (it's = it is). Errors include its versus it's, plural apostrophes (*apple's for sale), and irregular plurals before possessive (children's). Autocorrect and speed writing make these some of the most visible mistakes in submitted work. Slow down on every word ending in -s and decide: plural only, possessive, or contraction.
See it in a sentence
IncorrectThe company updated it's policy on remote work.
CorrectThe company updated its policy on remote work.
Teaching note: Its is possessive; it's means it is or it has.
IncorrectTwo student's presentations were selected.
CorrectTwo students' presentations were selected.
Teaching note: Plural possessive: students' for more than one student.
IncorrectIts a difficult question, but its answer is short.
CorrectIt's a difficult question, but its answer is short.
Teaching note: It's = it is; its answer shows possession.
More examples
James's book vs James' book — both appear in style guides.
Singular names ending in s vary — pick one form and stay consistent.
Who's coming? — Who is. Whose draft is this? — Whose shows ownership.
Who's is not possessive.
The 1990s or the 1990's — decades usually take no apostrophe in plurals.
No apostrophe for simple plurals of numbers.
Mens room is wrong — Men's room or Men room signage varies; standard possessive is men's.
Irregular plurals take apostrophe before s: men's, women's, children's.
Quick check
The teams captain announced it's strategy before kickoff.
Show the fix
The team's captain announced its strategy before kickoff. Team's = one team's; its = possessive for the strategy.
Practice this topic in Wrytesmart
Open the grammar workspace to complete interactive exercises for apostrophes. You will spot errors, fill blanks, and transform sentences — always with teaching notes that explain the principle, not just the correction.
Master apostrophes in context
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