A quality piece of writing has the power to capture and hold a reader’s attention. Unfortunately, a reader can easily be distracted by punctuation mistakes. That’s why it’s important to learn when to use apostrophes. In short, knowing the apostrophes rules will allow a writer to convey his or her message without punctuation errors.

The first occasion concerning when to use apostrophes is when a writer is dealing with possessive words. Possessive apostrophes are used to indicate ownership of something. Ownership can apply to a great number of things. Some examples of possessive apostrophes:

• There is my friend’s house. This apostrophes examples conveys that the friend is the owner of the house.
• That is my dog’s collar. Who possesses the collar? The dog.
• We brought our child’s suitcase.
• That is the city’s motto.
• The book is hers. In this example, the possessive word is hers and has no apostrophe with it. The words hers, its, ours, and yours don’t contain apostrophes, but are still possessive.
• We studied Jesus’ teachings. This apostrophes after s example is also an exception to the basic rule. There is no additional s after the name of Jesus, but the word is indicating possession of the teachings.
• There is Thomas’s car. In this apostrophes examples, an apostrophe is added after the s along with an additional letter s. The use of apostrophes after s is often seen in conncection to common names.

The next opportunity relating to the use of apostrophes occurs when there’s a contraction. In a contraction, an apostrophe stands in for a word. Not surprisingly, many authors use contractions in an effort to make their writing flow better. Some examples of apostrophes used to make contractions are:

• That’s my new swimming pool. The word that’s is a contraction with an apostrophe that stands in for the words, “that is.”
• We’re going to the amusement park. The word we’re is a contraction that stands in for the words, “we are.”
• They’re going to visit a relative. The word they’re is a contraction that means, “they are.”
• It’s twelve o’clock midnight. The contraction it’s stands for the words, “it is.”

A writer must take care to use a contraction only in appropriate situations. For example:
• Incorrect: A cat cleans it’s fur. This sentence means, “A cat cleans it is fur.” Certainly, that statement would confuse a reader.
• Correct: A cat cleans its fur. There is no need for an apostrophe in this sentence.

Misusing apostrophes rules can change the meaning of a word. Furthermore, it can confuse a reader as to the writer’s intentions. Consequently, it’s helpful to know when it’s appropriate to use this punctuation. The proper use of punctuation can improve the clarity of a piece of writing.