Postby Honeypuddle » Wed Dec 07, 2005 7:02 pm
Tap, tap tap,
STF,,,please read
There are two main uses for apostrophes:
1) Shortening tiny words
Use apostrophes to indicate a missing vowel in words like is, not, are, am, us
So ...
is gets shortened to ’s
are gets shortened to ’re.
am gets shortened to ’m
us get shortened to ’s
not gets shortened to n’t
(Note: remember how not is shortened.)
Thus (and you must close the gap between the shortened word and the word before it) ...
It’s when you mean It is - never Its’ or Its
(although Its is used to mean something different - about which more later).
They’re when you mean They are - never Theyr’e or Theyre or, worse, Their or There (because Their and There both have completely different meanings).
We’re when you mean We are - never Wer’e or, worse, Were
(because Were has a completely different meaning).
Don’t when you mean Do not - never Do’nt, Dont’ or Dont
Can’t when you mean Cannot - never Ca’nt or, worse, Cant
(because Cant has a completely different meaning.)
(Note: cannot is spelled cannot and not can not.
Weren’t when you mean Were not - never Were’nt, Werent’ or Werent
Couldn’t when you mean Could not - never Could’nt or Couldnt
Who’s when you mean Who is - never Whos’ or Whos or, worse, Whose
(because Whose has a completely different meaning).
Shouldn’t when you mean Should not - never Should’nt or Shouldnt
Hadn’t when you mean Had not - never Had’nt or Hadnt
Isn’t when you mean Is not - never Is’nt or Isnt
Aren’t when you mean Are not - never Are’nt or Arent
That’s when you mean That is - never Thats’ or Thats
I’m when you mean I am - never Im’ or Im
Let’s when you mean Let us (as in Let’s go shopping)
(Note: Lets has two completely different meanings. For example: He lets things slip through his fingers or even An estate agent lets flats to homeless people. So be careful about Let’s and Lets.)
OTHERS
Has, Had, Have and Will, when shortened, lose the first two letters and become ’s ’d ’ve and ’ll. Would loses the first four letters and becomes ’d.
Thus:
Someone’s (Someone has or Someone is)
He’d (He had or He would)
They’ve (They have)
She’ll (She will)
2) Possessives
You also use an apostrophe when something belongs to someone or something (called “Possessivesâ€