Where the apostrophe goes
Take the owner’s name. Leave it exactly as it is. Put the apostrophe right after the last letter, then the s.
Ava becomes “Ava’s”
dog becomes “dog’s”
teacher becomes “teacher’s”
Nothing about the word changes. No letters come out. No letters move. The mark and the s go on the end and that is all.
Common slips
| Written | Right or wrong? |
|---|---|
| Ava’s kite | Right. |
| Avas’ kite | Wrong. The mark landed after the s. |
| Avas kite | Wrong. No mark at all. |
| Ava’ s kite | Wrong. Nothing goes between the mark and the s. |
Apostrophe first. Then s. No spaces anywhere near them.
The little words in front
Words like “the” and “my” stay in front of the owner.
“the dog’s bowl”
“my brother’s bike”
Read those aloud and notice what the “the” belongs to. It goes with the dog, not with the bowl. The whole group of words about the owner stays together and the mark lands at the end of the owner’s name.
A mistake to watch for
Sometimes students put the mark on whichever word is closest to the end.
“the dog bowl’s” is wrong. The bowl does not own anything.
“the dog’s bowl” is right.
Ask who owns before you write anything.
Your turn
Fix each one.
- “Leos cup”
- “the cat bowl’s”
- “my uncles truck”
Check your answers
- “Leo’s cup”
- “the cat’s bowl”
- “my uncle’s truck”
Remember
- Apostrophe first and then the s.
- The owner’s word does not change.
- Little words like the and my stay in front of the owner.