When to use apostrophes - Laura McClure
- 770,317 Views
- 23,797 Questions Answered
- TEDEd Animation
Let’s Begin…
It’s possessive. It’s often followed by S’s. And it’s sometimes tricky when it comes to its usage. It’s the apostrophe. Laura McClure gives a refresher on when to use apostrophes in writing.
Additional Resources for you to Explore
To learn more about this punctuation mark, start by reading the two Grammar Girl posts here and here.
To understand the difference between grammar “rules” and grammar “style” choices, you’ll want to look at a style guide or two. Below are the websites for several major English language style guides:
The Economist Style Guide
Chicago Manual of Style
Oxford University Press
Associated Press
MLA
Want to improve (or test) your knowledge about punctuation? Take the TED-Ed Lessons described below:
The Oxford comma:
If you read "Bob, a DJ and a clown" on a guest list, are three people coming to the party, or only one? That depends on whether you're for or against the Oxford comma. Watch this TED-Ed Lesson to explore both sides of the comma divide.
How to use a semicolon:
It may seem like the semicolon is struggling with an identity crisis. It looks like a comma crossed with a period. Maybe that’s why we toss these punctuation marks around like grammatical confetti; we’re confused about how to use them properly. Watch this TED-Ed Lesson to see best practices for the semi-confusing semicolon.
To understand the difference between grammar “rules” and grammar “style” choices, you’ll want to look at a style guide or two. Below are the websites for several major English language style guides:
The Economist Style Guide
Chicago Manual of Style
Oxford University Press
Associated Press
MLA
Want to improve (or test) your knowledge about punctuation? Take the TED-Ed Lessons described below:
The Oxford comma:
If you read "Bob, a DJ and a clown" on a guest list, are three people coming to the party, or only one? That depends on whether you're for or against the Oxford comma. Watch this TED-Ed Lesson to explore both sides of the comma divide.
How to use a semicolon:
It may seem like the semicolon is struggling with an identity crisis. It looks like a comma crossed with a period. Maybe that’s why we toss these punctuation marks around like grammatical confetti; we’re confused about how to use them properly. Watch this TED-Ed Lesson to see best practices for the semi-confusing semicolon.
TED-Ed
Lesson Creator
New York, NY
Create and share a new lesson based on this one.
More from The Writer's Workshop
Literature & Language
First person vs. Second person vs. Third person
lesson duration 05:20
573,901 views
Literature & Language
How many verb tenses are there in English?
lesson duration 04:28
695,682 views