Apostrophes: for contraction, singular possession and plural possession 2 | English

Starter quiz

Which of these can end a sentence?
- comma
- exclamation mark ✓
- full stop ✓
- question mark ✓
Which of the following could end this sentence? 'Stop talking...'
- comma
- exclamation mark ✓
- full stop ✓
- question mark
Which of the following sentences are correctly punctuated?
- Now, push the button. ✓
- Now, push the button,
- Now, push the button! ✓
- Now, push the button?
What is the name for the punctuation used to show direct speech?
- apostrophes
- inverted commas ✓
- commas
Which sentence is correctly punctuated?
- Where on earth would we find the answer to our question.
- Where on earth would we find the answer to our question!
- Where on earth would we find the answer to our question? ✓
Which sentence has the comma in the correct position?
- Before long we saw the sun peep over the horizon.
- Before long we saw the sun, peep over the horizon.
- Before long, we saw the sun peep over the horizon. ✓
- Before long we saw, the sun peep over the horizon.

An apostrophe can be used to show...
- contraction ✓
- connection
- possession ✓
- position
Which sentence below uses both apostrophes for contraction correctly?
- She'll be ready when its time to go.
- Shell' be ready when it's time to go.
- She'll be ready when it's time to go. ✓
Which words in this sentence could be contracted using an apostrophe? 'We should have waited, but he had told us to go.'
- have waited
- should have ✓
- he had ✓
- told us
Match each 'possession' idea to the sentence that uses it. Each sentence uses an apostrophe for singular possession.
- a suggestion belonging to Jun
  
  ⇔
  
  I ignored Jun's suggestion. ✓
- views belonging to Lucas
  
  ⇔
  
  We all respected Lucas' views. ✓
- vegetables belonging to Dad
  
  ⇔
  
  At the allotment, we picked Dad's vegetables. ✓
- beliefs belonging to Sam
  
  ⇔
  
  Sam's beliefs were quite unusual. ✓
Which sentence correctly uses the apostrophe for plural possession for the idea 'the opinions belonging to the adults'?
- We sighed as we listened to the adult's opinions.
- We sighed as we listened to the adults opinions.
- We sighed as we listened to the adults' opinions. ✓
Tick the sentences that use an apostrophe for plural possession correctly.
- The children's suggestions were quite helpful. ✓
- The childrens' suggestions were quite helpful.
- The women's changing room was flooded. ✓
- The womens' changing room was flooded.

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An apostrophe is an important piece of punctuation with more than one purpose.
An apostrophe can contract two words together.
An apostrophe can show if a noun belongs to another singular noun or to another plural noun.
Contractions are useful in writing to indicate a character's informal speech or a less formal register.
Apostrophes for possession are useful to clarify belonging to the reader.

Pupils may struggle to place the apostrophe correctly after the 's' for plural possession.

Remind pupils that the apostrophe is placed after the 's' when showing possession for plural nouns that already end in 's'.

Apostrophe for contraction - a punctuation mark used to contract two words together
Apostrophe for possession - a punctuation mark used to show if a noun belongs to another singular or plural noun
Singular - only one
Plural - more than one