Remember, an Apostrophe does NOT mean "LOOK OUT, HERE COMES AN 'S'!"

<--- An example of apostrophes used in two places. In one place the apostrophe is used correctly (to indicate a possessive), in the other place the apostrophe is incorrectly used in a possessive pronoun.

Just tonight, I saw websites and printed texts that had misused apostrophes all over the place.

If a word is PLURAL, it does NOT need an apostrophe.

The dog's and the cat's ran around the yard's. (wrong)

The dogs and the cats ran around the yards. (correct)

If a word is a possessive pronoun, it does NOT need an apostrophe.

This is her table.
This is his table.
This is their table.
This is its table. (no apostrophe needed)

If the word is a plural proper noun, it usually does NOT need an apostrophe.

The Gardners live here.
The Wilkensons live here.
The Prasads live here.
The Tanakas live here.
The Obamas live here.
The Taimanglos live here.
The Gumataotaos live here.

BUT... if the proper noun is POSSESSIVE, it usually requires an apostrophe.

This is the Gardner's house.
This is the Wilkenson's house.
This is the Prasad's house.
This is the Tanaka's house.
This is the Obama's house.
This is the Taimanglo's house.
This is the Gumataotao's house.

Have I beaten this concept to death yet?

For more information, check out my Squidoo lenses on Editing Your Writing and Grammar and Parts of Speech.

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