Apostrophe examples | The Apostrophe Guide

Below is a selection of examples of the apostrophe:

Examples of possessive apostrophes

I’m going to try on one of my big brother’s hats. (Correct)

You had a wonderful time on France’s Mediterranean coast, didn’t you? (Correct)

Kids’ parties are always a riot. (Correct – plural version)

Children’s teeth can really hurt them when they cut. (Correct – plural without an s)

My three dog’s tails are wagging furiously. (Incorrect – it should read dogs’ as it’s plural)

This is my cousin Algernon’s motorbike. (Correct)

This is Mr Davies’s house. (Correct, although Mr Davies’ would also be technically right)

Venus’ footsteps were still visible in the moonlit sand. (Correct – Classical names have no s)

My sister-in-law’s daughters are coming over later. (Correct – apostrophe after last element)

The King of Siam’s love of dance was legendary. (Correct)

He’ll be here in about five minutes time. (Incorrect – five minutes’ time is correct)

I don’t think I can stay up much longer. (Correct)

Its political correctness gone mad. (Incorrect – It’s is short for It is, so an apostrophe is needed)

I’ve been waiting here for twenty minutes. (Correct – I have, present perfect tense)

I’ve a huge picnic basket full of food. (Incorrect – should be I have as it’s the perfect tense)

I first visited Germany in the mid-1990’s. (Incorrect – apostrophes are no longer used there)

How many pizza’s do you want? (Incorrect – apostrophes are no longer used for plurals after vowels)

I ate so many pizzas in Italy in the late 1990s. (Correct)

This garden is their’s; that one is ours. (Incorrect – theirs does not take an apostrophe)

People think of me as a ne’er-do-well ever since that accident in ’73. (Correct – apostrophe for shortened year)

This could be anybodys game now. (Incorrect – impersonal pronoun needs apostrophe, anybody’s)

R2D2 (Kenny Baker)’s costume was so hot and uncomfortable. (Correct – any option would be correct)