𝔸𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕖

When using a singular noun, the apostrophe is used before the s. For example: “The squirrel's nuts were stashed in a hollow tree.” When using a plural noun, the apostrophe goes after the s. For example: “The squirrels' nuts were hidden in several hollow trees throughout the forest.”

Creating Contracted Verbs with Apostrophes

Contracted verbs are single words that have been formed from a subject and a verb. While contracted verbs might not always be acceptable for use in academic prose or in business writing, they can be extremely useful for personal communication and many other forms of writing. A few apostrophe examples below:

• I am – I’m:  “I’m planning to write a book someday.”
• You are – You’re:  “You’re going to have a lot of fun with your new puppy.”
• She is – She’s:  “She’s always on time.”
• It is – It’s: “I can’t believe it’s snowing again.”
• Do not – Don’t: “I don’t like anchovies.”
• He would – He’d: “He’d like to go fishing in Alaska.”
• Let us – Let’s: “Let’s start saving more money each month.”
• She would have – She would’ve: “If she would’ve paid attention in class, she would have passed.”
• Who is – Who’s: “Who’s there?”
• They had – They’d: “They weren’t hungry, because they’d already eaten.”

These are just some of the most common contracted verbs. Once you start looking for them, you’ll notice that there are many others. If you are taking a writing class, be sure to ask your instructor about his or her stance on using contractions before using them in work that will be graded.