Another Bit of Punctuation: the Apostrophe

The difference between a simple plural and a possessive is an apostrophe. The main question to ask if there is indecision about whether or not to use the possessive form is whether or not any ownership is indicated. Once that part is established, the next question is how many own what it is that is owned.

“The shark’s passage” means one shark has the right of way and is moving through the water.

“The sharks’ passage” means more than one shark is involved.

Either way, it‘s a good time to sit out a wave or two.

Apostrophes are also used to form contractions. An apostrophe goes where the missing letter would have been. For informal writing, using contractions seems a bit less stilted, more casual. I do not, however, recommend using contractions for formal, academic essays. It’s OK, though, to use contractions in other writing.

There is often confusion about using an apostrophe when writing years. If I want to write about the 1800s and the 1900s, I don’t need to use an apostrophe; but if I did, I’d be consistent about it. Writers often do place an apostrophe in years.

Unlike the breakable rule for writing years, an apostrophe is correct when referring to words as words – “she had too many the’s in her sentence” - or when naming letters of the alphabet – “how many e’s are in this sentence?”

Like commas, the best guide is to have a real reason for adding an apostrophe. A quick look at a dictionary or grammar book can always clarify the rule and answer questions.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!