Use of the Apostrophe to Indicate Possession
 
     An apostrophe is used to demonstrate possession. The
apostrophe takes the place of omitted words of ownership. If you
can reverse the order of the words and use of or for, then you need
an apostrophe. For example,  child's book becomes the book of the child.   

Examples:      son's chores (the chores of the son)
               sons' chores (the chores of more than one son)
               Octavia's cake (the cake of Octavia)
               Nelson's journey (the journey of Nelson)

     NOTE: An apostrophe is not required for possessive pronouns.
           The pronouns my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its,
           our, ours, their, and theirs do not need apostrophes to
           make them possessive.

     Examples: His car is not here. Shall we take yours or mine?
               Each cat had its favorite spot in the house.


Rules for Forming the Possessive

1. Add the apostrophe plus an s ('s) to show possession in these
cases:

       a. a singular noun-

          Examples: a cat's cry
                    the astronaut's suit

       b. an indefinite pronoun-

          Examples: someone's keys 
                    everyone's answers

       c. plural nouns that do not end in s-

          Examples: children's coats
                    women's responsibilities
                    men's role

       d. compound (more than one word) expressions used as a
          singular noun-

          Examples: her father-in-law's chair
                    the chief-of-police's gun

       e. joint possession and separate possession-

          Examples: Libby and Cindy's rooms (same rooms)
                    Libby's and Cindy's rooms (different rooms)

2. Add an apostrophe (') or an apostrophe plus an s (s') to 
singular words ending in s.

       a. Add the apostrophe plus the s to singular words of one
          syllable.

          Examples: my boss's schedule
                    the bus's tires

       b. Add an apostrophe plus an s or an apostrophe only to
          singular words of two syllables. Your choice depends upon
          sound.

          Examples: Thomas's or Thomas' dog
                    discus' flight or discus's flight

       c. Singular words of three or more syllables use only an
          apostrophe to make them possessive.

          Examples: Martinkus' book
                    Pythagoras' theory

3. Add only an apostrophe (') to plural nouns ending in s.

          Examples: goats' pasture
                    bridges' supports


Use of the Apostrophe to Form Contractions
Use apostrophes in place of some letters to form contracted words
or numbers. Make sure that the apostrophe is in the same place as
the omitted letters or numbers.

     Examples: of the clock        o'clock 
               he did not          he didn't
               she will            she'll
               Kim will not        Kim won't
               he is               he's

               I am                I'm
               they are            they're
               1965                '65  

     Usually, except for a contraction like o'clock, you should not
use contractions in formal writing.


Use of the Apostrophe to Form Plurals
Use apostrophes to form plurals of letters, numbers, abbreviations,
and words referred to as words.


     Examples: Please distinguish between your i's and your t's.
               Nathan's 7's often look like 9's
               The VIP's arrived at the gala opening of the new   
               play.
               You used too many and's in your last paper.


     NOTE: In current usage, the plurals of this century's decades
           -- the '20's, for example -- are written without the
           apostrophe plus s.  Instead, these decades appear with
           only the initial apostrophe to indicate that the first
           numbers are absent and the s to indicate plural.  The
           Sixties are now written numerically as the '60s or the
           1960s.