English 9 / Unit 9: Grammar and Usage
9.7 Apostrophes and Commonly Confused Words
Notes
Apostrophes show possession or missing letters in contractions.
- Singular possessive: add 's (the cat's toy, James's book). Plural ending in s: add ' (the girls' team). Irregular plural: add 's (the children's room).
- Possessive pronouns have no apostrophe: its, yours, theirs, hers, ours.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| its / it's | possessive / it is |
| your / you're | possessive / you are |
| their / there / they're | possessive / place / they are |
| to / too / two | direction / also or excessive / 2 |
| than / then | comparison / time |
| affect / effect | usually verb / usually noun |
| accept / except | receive / excluding |
Practice
Which is correct?
"Its" is possessive; "it's" means "it is."
Which correctly shows possession by several students?
For a plural ending in s, add only an apostrophe.
Choose the correct words: "___ going to be late if ___ bus doesn't come soon."
They're = they are; their = belonging to them.
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