CHAPTER 5 More About Punctuation^119
NOTE:Ain’t is not a word and is never acceptable in written or spoken English.
Use an apostrophe to show possession. Apostrophes are placed differently accord-
ing to whether the word is singular or plural as well as the way a particular word
forms its plural.
Singular: The printer’s door is jammed. (Singular printer: Place the
apostrophe before the s.)Plural: The three executives’ offi ces face the parking lot. (Plural executives:
Place the apostrophe after the s.)Singular: That deer’s temperament is so tame it eats from my hand. (Singular
deer: Place the apostrophe before the s.)Plural: The two adult deer’s eating habits don’t change with the seasons.
(Plural deer: The word deer is spelled the same whether singular or plural;
therefore, the apostrophe is placed the same.)Singular: A man’s car was found at the scene of the crime. (Singular man:
Place the apostrophe before the s.)Plural: All the men’s cars were brought to the car wash. (Plural: The plural of
man [men] requires an internal spelling change from a to e. The apostrophe
is still placed before the s.)Singular: The lady’s hat was huge. (Singular lady: Place the apostrophe before
the s.)Plural: The ladies’ monthly book club meeting was rescheduled. (Plural
ladies: The plural of lady requires a change in the ending from y to ies. The
apostrophe is placed after the s.)Exceptions:Its is the possessive form of it. However, it’s means it is.His and hers
are the possessive forms of he and she.
The dog puts its ears back when it is angry. (Possessive form of it.)It’s a perfect day for a picnic. (It’s means it is.)Hers is the new Apple computer. (Hers is the possessive form of she.)He picked up his daughter. (His is the possessive form of he.)