Grammar 101: insider tips and tricks to instantly improve your writing (part 2)

Hannah Lawrence
A professional man sits at a desk, writing notes with a laptop open in front of him.
Reading time: 5 minutes

As a proofreader and editor, I'm often asked to explain the rules of grammar. I answered three of the most common questions in the first post of this series, and now it's time to look at another frequent query: how to use apostrophes.Where do they go? When are they needed? And when should they be left out entirely?

Apostrophes might be small but they can cause big confusion because they are used both to indicate posession and to contract words. But the good news is that there are clear, simple patterns to follow, which we'll explore, along with exceptions to watch out for.Whether you’re writing a report or just a text message, these tips will help you use apostrophes correctly and confidently.

Apostrophes with ease: posession

Apostrophes show possession: they tell us something belongs to someone or something.When we want to show possession for regular plurals (when a word needs an "s" to make it plural), the apostrophe goes at the end and no further "s" is added:

  • The teachers' association
  • The campaigners' letter
  • The dogs' dinner

Whereas, when we want to show posession for either a single noun or an irregular plural (for example, children, geese), we add an "apostrophe s":

  • Sarah's car
  • ɫèAV's assessment tools
  • The children's presents
  • The geese's pond

Single names that end in an “s” get an “apostrophe s” but plural names get only an apostrophe:

  • Mrs Jones’s car
  • James's cat
  • Whole Foods’ offices
  • Starbucks' nearest store

There's one exception that's important to note: "its" and "it's". The posessive form "its" does not have an apostrophe: "it's" always means "it is".

  • The cat ate its food

Apostrophes with ease: contractions

Contracted words are the combined and shortened forms of two words, which are commonly used in everyday writing and speech to sound more natural and conversational. They're made by omitting certain letters and replacing them with an apostrophe: for example, in "don't", it replaces the missing “o” from not.

When you miss one or more letters, use an apostrophe:

  • "would not" becomes "wouldn’t"
  • "cannot" becomes "can’t"
  • "we are" becomes "we're"
  • and, as before, "it is" becomes "it's"

When not to use apostrophes

A common mistake is using apostrophes when making words plural or when refering to decades and numbers. For example:

  • The 1980s had the best music (not "The 1980's")
  • Many people retire from working in their 70s (not "their 70's")
  • I bought some apples at the store (not "apple's")
Using apostrophes: simple tips to improve your writing skills
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Test your knowledge

Now you know the basic rules of apostrophes, it's time to check your knowledge.

Which sentence is correct?:

  1. The childrens break time has finished
  2. The childrens' break time has finished
  3. The children's break time has finished

It's sentence 3. We want to show posession – break time belongs to the children – and "children" is plural so it gets an "apostrophe s".
Now try these sentences and see if you can figure out which one is right:

  1. When you're walking my dog, its important to remember it's collar.
  2. When you're walking my dog, it's important to remember its collar.
  3. When youre walking my dog, it's important to remember it's collar.

The correct answer is 2. "You're" is a contraction of "you are", "it is important" so we use "it's" and we show that the collar belongs to the dog by using "its". Finally:

  1. Luis' daughter won't go to sleep.
  2. Luis's daughter wont go to sleep.
  3. Luis's daughter won't go to sleep.

Here, the right answer is 3. "Luis" is a single name, so gets an "apostrophe s", and "will not" is shortened to "won't".

Hopefully you now feel more confident in using apostrophes in your writing. Look out for the next post in this series, where we’ll explore more common grammar mistakes and how to avoid them.

Read our blog posts "11 fascinating facts about English"and "Grammar 101: insider tips and tricks to instantly improve your writing (part 1)".

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    • Passion projects: Give students the chance to dive into something they’re really interested in and wrap it up with a fun presentation or creative display.
    • Local impact projects: Challenge your learners to brainstorm ways to support their local community. They could develop a plan or even implement their ideas.

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    • Art session: Organise a holiday craft-making session where students create ornaments, cards, or posters. Encourage students to write and create cards to take home to their loved ones.

    3. Interactive learning games

    Interactive games are an easy way to maintain focus and excitement.

    • Trivia challenges: Create trivia questions about topics covered during the year—bonus points for including playful or funny questions about inside jokes or class moments.
    • Escape room activities: Turn your classroom into an educational escape room with puzzles, problem-solving challenges and hidden clues.
    • AI Guess Who: Most AI chatbots will let you play games like Guess Who; play this with the class to liven things up.Let them take turns to guess who the chatbot is thinking of. You can also use '.

    4. Group activities

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    • Talent show: Give students the chance to showcase their talents, from singing and dancing to magic tricks and storytelling. It can be a great way to encourage them to practice language skills.
    • Debate tournaments: Divide your class into teams and set them up for friendly debates on fun or meaningful topics.
    • Story circles: Build stories as a group by having students take turns adding to the tale.

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    Don’t hesitate to think outside the box with these unique ideas:

    • Class awards ceremony: Create fun and light-hearted awards for each student, such as “Best Scientist” or “Most Curious Learner.”
    • Time capsule creation: Have students write letters to their future selves or fill a box with objects representing the year.
    • Themed classroom party: Use a theme, such as a tropical luau or winter wonderland, to bring the class together for a fun party with food, games and music.

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    • Movie afternoon: Set up your classroom and dim the lights to create a cinema atmosphere for a class movie.
    • Game board bonanza: Bring in board games and allow students a relaxed day of friendly competition. If none are available, get students to create their own games.

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