21+ Apostrophe Examples in Sentences as Punctuation Mark

Apostrophe Examples: The apostrophe (‘) is the most problematic punctuation mark in the English language, and perhaps also the trickiest in terms of usage. These are used in writing to indicate possession or show where letters or numbers have been skipped. Learning how to use apostrophes and when to use them is an important skill in written English. After all, omitting or misplacing apostrophes can change the meaning of a sentence or confuse readers. Thus, In this blog, you will get to know more about how apostrophe is used in particular sentences with the help of examples and exercises for your practice.

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Apostrophe Examples and Usage Rules

Apostrophes, a versatile punctuation mark, serve various functions in written language. One common usage is to indicate possession or ownership. It also plays a crucial role in forming contractions, where they signify the omission of letters in a word. Therefore, understanding the proper usage of apostrophes with the help of examples is essential for effective writing and communication in the following circumstances.

For Possessions	For Contractions	For Omitting Letters
Singular Nouns: The cat’s meow woke me up.	don’t (do not)	The apostrophe indicates missing letters in a grade.Eg., We need more A’s on our report cards.
Plural Nouns Ending in “S”: The students’ backpacks are overflowing.	can’t (cannot)	Indicates plurals of single letters Eg., Don’t forget to dot your i’s and cross your t’s.
Irregular Plurals: The children’s laughter filled the room.	wouldn’t (would not)	Note:- Apostrophes are not used to indicate possession with personal pronouns like its, his, hers, theirs, and ours.
Singular Nouns Ending in “S”: Charles’s jacket/Charles’ jacket (both acceptable, choose based on pronunciation preference)	it’s (it is)	Note:- When using apostrophes with plural nouns, such as abbreviations or acronyms, they are placed before the “s” to indicate the plural form. For example, “CDs” or “MP3s.”

Apostrophe Examples in Possession

This is the most familiar use of the apostrophe, that specialises in showing ownership of something. Below are some examples that will show you how it works:

Examples	Meaning
The children’s laugh	The laugh belongs to the children
The dog’s leash	The leash belongs to the dog
Ria’s bag	The bag belongs to Ria
Yesterday’s report	The report belongs to yesterday
The trainer instruction’s	The instructions belong to the trainer

9+ Examples of Apostrophe for Joint Possession

Below are some of the common examples in sentence form you can refer to for a better understanding of the role played by apostrophe in showing joint possessions. 

Examples	Meaning
Amit and Ria’s wedding anniversary	They both celebrate the same anniversary
Ritu and Amish’s apartment	They share the same apartment
Rishi and Arnav’s garden	They both plant in the same garden
The firefighters’ truck	The entire firehouse crew uses the truck
The trainer’s lounge	All the teachers share the lounge

17+ Examples of Contraction and Omission 

The apostrophe is utilised in writing contractions that is, abbreviated forms of words from which one or more letters have been omitted. Below are some of the common examples of contraction and omission that students can refer to for better understanding:

Contraction	Without Contraction
I’m	I am
You’re	You are
She’s/He’s/It’s	She is/He is/It is
They’re	They are
Can’t	Can not
Won’t	Would not
Don’t	Do not
Isn’t	Is not
Wouldn’t	Would not
Shouldn’t	Should not
Mightn’t	Might not

Exercise on Apostrophe

Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the suitable apostrophe (‘) or nothing (if there is no need for an apostrophe).

1. The mail carrier delivered the package to the wrong _ _ _ address.
2. They enjoyed the tasty food at _ _ _ favourite cafe.
3. The baby screamed for its _ _ _ lost toy car.
4. The hikers admired the _ _ _ beauty of the waterfall.
5. Bhavit finished reading his _ _ _ favourite novel.
6. Do not forget to bring your _ _ _ swimsuit to the beach.
7. The _ _ _ leaves were changing colours in the fall.
8. His friend’s _ _ _ dog is a playful puppy.
9. They visited several famous _ _ _ landmarks on our trip.
10. My friends decorated the _ _ _ Christmas tree with ornaments.

Answers:

1. owner’s
2. our
3. own
4. waterfall’s
5. favourite (no apostrophe needed for favourite)
6. own
7. trees’
8. friend’s
9. landmarks’
10. Children’s

Related reads:

50+ Poetic Devices with Meaning	99+ Examples of Possessive Nouns
Figures of Speech PDF	Common English Errors To Avoid
What are Possessive Nouns?	11+ Antonyms of Long

FAQs

This was all about apostrophe examples in different situations and related information. Hope you understand the concept and know how to proceed. You can also follow the Learn English page of Leverage Edu for more exciting and informative blogs.