Apostrophe After S - A Complete Guide

The symbol inside the brackets (') is an apostrophe. The apostrophe is one of the frequently used punctuation marks in English. We use apostrophe to show possession between two nouns as in "John's book" or indicate the missing of some letter in a word or in grammatical contractions as in "don't". Note that an apostrophe can be used before or after s as in Sofia's book and armies' camp.

There're several guidelines as to how to use the punctuation mark apostrophe in English. Sometimes, an apostrophe is used with an -s, and some other times, it's used without it. Sometimes, an apostrophe is used before an -s; some other times, it's used after an -s. Therefore, continue to read to learn apostrophe definition, types, rules and examples.

This article covers:

•  Apostrophe Definition and Meaning
• Apostrophe Examples 
• Apostrophe After S
• Possessive Apostrophe 
• Apostrophe Rules 
• When to Use Apostrophe s
• FAQs - Apostrophe After S

Apostrophe Definition and Meaning

The word apostrophe (') comes from the Greek word apostrophos. Apostrophos means "accent of elision" or articulation of omission or deletion; that is, the word apostrophos is something that is used to indicate that something has been omitted or deleted. Thus the word apostrophe, etymologically, means a symbol used to signal possession or ownership, contractions or omitted letters. By definition, an apostrophe is a punctuation mark used to signal possession as in "John's book", or indicate the deletion of some letter [contraction] as in "Can't".

Also read: Grammatical Contractions

Apostrophe Examples

1. Examples of Apostrophe in Contractions:

• Don't
• Doesn't
• Aren't 
• Isn't 
• Wasn't
• Weren't 
• Hadn't 
• Hasn't
• Haven't 
• Won't
• Shan't
• Can't
• Couldn't
• Mustn't 
• Mightn't 
• We're
• You're
• She's
• He's
• It's

2. Examples of Apostrophe in Possessive Nouns:

• John's book
• Books' titles
• Men's trousers
• Brother-in-law's marriage
• John and Smith's father
• My sister's and brother's toys

3. Examples of Apostrophe in Numbers:

• The people of the '90s 
• People from '70 - 90 

4. Examples of Apostrophe to Indicate Missing Letters:

• O'er [over]
• 'bout [about]
• 'cause [because]

Apostrophe After S

An apostrophe can be used after an -s or before it depending on the last letter of a given word. Here are some tips on how to use an apostrophe after s:

a. If a proper noun ends in an -s, it's accepted that you use an apostrophe after the s.

For example:

• Jones' book
• Francis' pencil

b. If a plural noun ends in an -s, you'll be using an apostrophe after the s.

For example:

• Cows' legs
• Brothers' property 

How to Use Apostrophe - Apostrophe Rules 

Using an apostrophe in writing is really confusing, especially for beginners, as it's sometimes used before an -s or some other times after an -s. Here are the guidelines and rules to use an apostrophe correctly. 

Rule 1: A singular noun takes an apostrophe and an -s. 

For example:

a. My brother's shop.

b. My uncle's house 

Rule 2: The plural nouns ending in -s take only an apostrophe.

For example:

a. Dogs' legs

b. Cats' tails

Rule 3: The plural nouns not ending in -s take an apostrophe and an -s.

For example:

a. Men's shirt 

b. Children's father

Rule 4: The singular compound nouns take an apostrophe and an -s in the last noun.

For example:

a. My brother-in-law's father

b. My sister-in-law's brother

Rule 5: The plural compound nouns take an apostrophe after the "s" in the last noun.

For example:

a. My father-in-laws' daughter 

b. My mother-in-laws' father 

Rule 6: Two nouns with single possession take an apostrophe and an -s to the last noun.

For example:

a. John and Smith's father 

b. Marry and Potter's daughter 

Rule 7: Two nouns with separate possession take an apostrophe and an -s to the end of each noun.

For example:

a. John's and Potter's children

b. My son's and daughter's friends 

Rule 8: An apostrophe is used immediately after a singular possessive noun that doesn't end in -s.

For example:

a. Father's phone

b. Mother's love

Rule 9: An apostrophe is used after the -s of the plural possessive nouns that take an -s in the process of pluralization.

For example:

a. Boys' toys

b. Girls' hostel

FAQs - Apostrophe After S

What is an apostrophe?

An apostrophe is the punctuation mark inside the brackets (') which is used to indicate ownership, signal contractions and demonstrate missing letters and numbers. 

When do you use an apostrophe?

An apostrophe is used when you want to show possession or ownership, signal contractions or indicate missing letters and numbers.

When to use apostrophe after s?

Use an apostrophe after "s" when you want to show possession with the plural nouns that take an -s in the process of pluralization as in "Dogs' legs".