Use Apostrophes for Contractions and Possessives

Where Did the Apostrophe Come From?

Have you ever seen this tiny floating mark in a word? <span style="font-family:'Source Serif 4',serif;font-size:3rem;font-weight:700;color:var(--accent-amber);line-height:1;display:inline-block;">'</span> That is called an apostrophe . It looks like a little comma that hangs in the air! People have been using it for hundreds of years to make writing easier and shorter. Let’s look at how it got its start.

So here is the big question this lesson answers: How do we use an apostrophe the right way? There are two main jobs for the apostrophe, and you are going to learn both of them today!

The Two Big Jobs of an Apostrophe

An apostrophe has exactly two jobs . It can make a contraction (squishing two words into one) or show a possessive (that something belongs to someone). Let’s learn what each job means.

Contraction

A contraction is when you put two words together and take out some letters. The apostrophe goes where the missing letters used to be. Example: “do not” becomes “don’t” — the “o” is removed and the apostrophe takes its place.

Possessive

A possessive shows that something belongs to someone. You add ’s to the owner’s name. Example: “the cat’s toy” means the toy belongs to the cat.

✦ KEY TAKEAWAY

Think of the apostrophe like a little bridge. In a contraction , it bridges two words together (and some letters fall off the bridge!). In a possessive , it bridges a person to the thing they own — like a leash that connects a dog to its owner.

See It! How Contractions Are Made

Let’s watch two words become one! In the picture below, you can see how the apostrophe takes the place of missing letters. The letters that go away are shown in red, and the apostrophe jumps in to fill their spot.

Do you see the pattern? Every time we make a contraction, we take out one or more letters and put the apostrophe right where those letters used to be. The apostrophe is like a little sign that says, “Hey, some letters used to live here!”

How It Works: Step by Step

Let’s break down the steps for making contractions and possessives . Follow these easy rules and you will get it right every time!

Making a Contraction

Equation

Here is how to do it. First, write your two words next to each other. Then, cross out the letters you don’t need. Finally, push the words together and put an apostrophe where the letters used to be. For example, “can not” becomes “can’t” because we cross out the “n” and the “o” and put the apostrophe there instead.

Making a Possessive

Equation

When you want to show that something belongs to someone, add ’s to the owner’s name. If a cat has a toy , you write “the cat’s toy.” If your friend Sam has a bike , you write “Sam’s bike.” The apostrophe plus the letter “s” is like a tag that says, “This belongs to me!”

Equation

Common Contractions & Possessives

Here are some of the contractions and possessives you will see and use the most. Study this chart so you can spot them when you read!

Contractions You Should Know

Two Words	Contraction	Letters Removed
do not	don’t	o
can not	can’t	no
is not	isn’t	o
I am	I’m	a
they are	they’re	a
we will	we’ll	wi
it is	it’s	i
does not	doesn’t	o

Possessives You See Every Day

Owner	Possessive Form	Example
mom	mom’s	mom’s bag
Sam	Sam’s	Sam’s bike
cat	cat’s	cat’s toy
teacher	teacher’s	teacher’s desk
school	school’s	school’s playground
tree	tree’s	tree’s leaves

See how the pattern works? You take the owner , add ’s , and then say the thing they own . This works for people, animals, and even things! You could say “the tree’s leaves” or “the school’s playground.”

Let’s Try One Together!

Here is a sentence with blanks. Let’s fill in the apostrophes step by step.

Fill in the Apostrophes

The Sentence“Ben ____ going to get his ______ lunch box because he ______ want to forget it.” We need to fill in: (1) a contraction for “Ben is,” (2) a possessive for “mom,” and (3) a contraction for “does not.”

Step 1 — “Ben ___ going”We want to say “Ben is going.” To make a contraction of “Ben is,” we drop the letter “i” from “is” and push the words together with an apostrophe. That gives us “Ben’s” — a contraction meaning “Ben is.” Now the sentence starts: “Ben’s going…” ⚠️ Watch out! “Ben’s” looks just like a possessive (like “Sam’s bike”), but here it is a contraction. How can you tell? Try swapping “Ben’s” back for two words: “Ben is going” — that makes sense! So it is a contraction, not a possessive. Always try the swap test: if you can replace the word with two words and the sentence still makes sense, it is a contraction.

Step 2 — “his _____ lunch box”The lunch box belongs to Mom. To show this, we add ’s to the word “mom.” That gives us “mom’s” — a possessive. Now we have: “…his mom’s lunch box…”

Step 3 — “he ______ want to forget it”We want to say “does not.” To make a contraction, we drop the “o” from “not” and push the words together. That gives us “doesn’t” . Now we have: “…he doesn’t want to forget it.”

Final Answer ✨“Ben’s going to get his mom’s lunch box because he doesn’t want to forget it.” We used two contractions (Ben’s = Ben is, doesn’t = does not) and one possessive (mom’s) — all with apostrophes! Remember: even though “Ben’s” and “mom’s” look alike, “Ben’s” is a contraction and “mom’s” is a possessive. The swap test helps you tell them apart!

Don’t Get Tricked! Contraction vs. Possessive

Sometimes contractions and possessives can look the same! The word “it’s” and the word “its” confuse many people. Let’s see how to tell them apart.

Word	What It Means	Example
it’s	contraction of “it is”	It’s raining outside. (= It is raining outside.)
its	possessive — belonging to it	The dog wagged its tail. (the tail belongs to the dog)
they’re	contraction of “they are”	They’re going to the park. (= They are going to the park.)
their	possessive — belonging to them	Their backpacks are red. (the backpacks belong to them)
you’re	contraction of “you are”	You’re doing great! (= You are doing great!)
your	possessive — belonging to you	Your book is on the table.

✦ KEY TAKEAWAY

Here is a trick! If you can replace the word with two words and it still makes sense, then it is a contraction . Try saying “It is raining” — that works! So “it’s” is right. But “The dog wagged it is tail” sounds silly! So there you need “its” without the apostrophe. Think of it like trying on a shoe — if it fits, use the contraction!

What’s Next? Growing Your Apostrophe Skills

Great job learning about apostrophes! As you grow as a reader and writer, you will learn even more ways to use them. Here is a peek at what comes next.

What You Learned Today	What You’ll Learn Later
Contractions with common words (don’t, isn’t, I’m)	Contractions with less common words (should’ve, would’ve)
Possessives for one owner (cat’s, mom’s)	Possessives for more than one owner (cats’, teachers’)
Telling apart it’s and its	Telling apart more tricky pairs (who’s / whose)

Don’t worry about all of that right now! Just remember the two big jobs: contractions (squishing two words) and possessives (showing who owns what). When you feel strong with these, the harder stuff will be easy.

Practice Time! 🎉

Try these problems on your own. Click “Show Answer” when you are ready to check your work. You can do this!

What You Learned Today

Today you learned that the apostrophe has two important jobs.

First, it makes contractions by squishing two words into one and replacing the missing letters. Always use the swap test: if you can put the two words back and the sentence still makes sense, it is a contraction!

Second, it shows possessives by adding ’s to an owner’s name to show that something belongs to them.

You also learned the swap test trick: if you can replace a word with two words and it still makes sense, it is a contraction. Keep practicing and you will be an apostrophe expert!