Apostrophe rules
An apostrophe (') has two jobs: showing possession (my sister's car, the students' books) and marking missing letters in a contraction (don't, it's, she's). It is never used to make a plural noun, 'apple's' for more than one apple is always wrong, no matter how tempting the extra 's' looks.
Which one do I need?
Apostrophe or not?
Every answer at a glance
apostrophe for the missing letters
In a contraction the apostrophe sits where letters were dropped: do not, don't; it is, it's. Formal IELTS essays use the full forms.
I can't come to the seminar, but it's being recorded.
no apostrophe
A plain plural just adds s or es, with no apostrophe, even for decades, numbers and abbreviations: apples, the 1990s, CDs.
My parents moved to the city in the 1980s.
its (no apostrophe)
Possessive pronouns never take an apostrophe: its, his, hers, ours, theirs. It's always means 'it is' or 'it has'.
The museum has moved its gift shop to the top floor.
's
Add 's to a singular noun, even one that already ends in s: my sister's flat, the boss's decision, James's book.
Our team's results improved after the coach's new training plan.
s' (apostrophe after the s)
For a plural that already ends in s, add only the apostrophe: the students' results, my parents' house. Never students's.
The teachers' union has called for smaller classes.
's
An irregular plural that does not end in s takes 's, just like a singular noun: the children's playground, people's opinions.
Women's football has grown quickly in the last few years.
How to use apostrophe rules
How do you show possession for a singular noun?
Add apostrophe + s ('s) to a singular noun to show it owns or is connected to something, even if the noun already ends in s.
Style guides differ slightly on names ending in s (James's or James'), but adding 's and pronouncing the extra syllable is the safer default and always correct.
- My sister's flat overlooks the harbour.
- The boss's decision surprised everyone.singular noun ending in s still takes 's
- The boss decision surprised everyone.missing the possessive apostrophe → the boss's decision
How do you show possession for a plural noun?
For a regular plural noun that already ends in s, add only an apostrophe after the s; don't add another s.
For an irregular plural that doesn't end in s (children, people, men, women), treat it like a singular noun and add 's.
- The students' feedback shaped the new course.plural 'students' already ends in s → apostrophe only
- The children's playground reopens on Monday.irregular plural → 's, same as a singular noun
- The students's feedback shaped the new course.→ the students' feedback
How do apostrophes work in contractions?
In a contraction, the apostrophe sits exactly where letters are missing, joining two words into one: do not becomes don't, it is becomes it's, they are becomes they're.
Contractions are completely natural in speech and informal writing but are usually avoided in formal IELTS Writing Task 2, where the full forms read as more academic.
- I can't make the meeting on Thursday.cannot → can't
- She's been working from home since March.she has → she's
- I cant make the meeting on Thursday.missing apostrophe → can't
Why is 'it's' the exception to the possession rule?
'It's' always means 'it is' or 'it has'; it is never possessive. The possessive form of 'it' is 'its', with no apostrophe at all, following the same pattern as his, hers and theirs, none of which take an apostrophe either.
If you can replace 'it's' with 'it is' or 'it has' and the sentence still makes sense, the apostrophe is correct; if not, you need 'its'. (See the dedicated its-vs-it's page for a full breakdown.)
- The company changed its logo last year.possessive, no apostrophe, like 'his logo'
- It's the first time the logo has changed in a decade.it's = it is
- The company changed it's logo last year.possessive 'its' never takes an apostrophe → its logo
Can an apostrophe ever make a word plural?
No. A plain apostrophe + s never marks a plural, only possession or a contraction. Simple plural nouns just add s or es, with no apostrophe at all, even for numbers, decades, and abbreviations.
This mistake, sometimes called the 'greengrocer's apostrophe', is one of the most visible punctuation errors in English and is heavily penalised in formal IELTS writing.
- We sell fresh apples and bananas every morning.plain plural, no apostrophe
- The 1990s were a decade of rapid technological change.decades take a plain s, never an apostrophe
- We sell fresh apple's and banana's every morning.→ apples and bananas, apostrophes never form plurals
Common mistakes with apostrophe rules
Find what is wrong in each one, then open it to check.
1The company lost it's biggest client last year.What's wrong? Show the fix
The company lost its biggest client last year.
The possessive 'its' never takes an apostrophe; only 'it's' (it is / it has) does.
2My parent's live in a small town near Hanoi.What's wrong? Show the fix
My parents live in a small town near Hanoi.
This is a plain plural (more than one parent), not a possessive, so no apostrophe is needed at all.
3The teams captain gave an interview after the match.What's wrong? Show the fix
The team's captain gave an interview after the match.
A singular noun showing ownership (the team owns the captain role) needs 's, which is missing here.
4Both of the boys' bike's were stolen from the yard.What's wrong? Show the fix
Both of the boys' bikes were stolen from the yard.
'Bikes' is a plain plural here (no possession), so it takes no apostrophe; 'boys'' correctly shows plural possession.
5Its going to rain later, so bring an umbrella.What's wrong? Show the fix
It's going to rain later, so bring an umbrella.
'It's' is the contraction of 'it is', which is needed here; the possessive 'its' would leave the sentence without a verb.
6Well done to all of this years graduate's.What's wrong? Show the fix
Well done to all of this year's graduates.
'Year's' needs an apostrophe to show possession (of this year), while 'graduates' is a plain plural and takes none.
7The 90's brought a wave of new bands.What's wrong? Show the fix
The 90s brought a wave of new bands.
Decades are plain plurals (90s, 1990s) and never take an apostrophe.
Practise
Write your own
Write a sentence of your own with apostrophe rules, about you, your studies or your town.
Apostrophe rules in IELTS
Speaking
- Apostrophes are silent in speech, but examiners still expect accurate possessive forms, 'my sister's husband', not 'my sister husband', as part of clear, accurate grammar in Part 1 family and lifestyle questions.
- Contractions (I'm, it's, we've) sound natural and fluent in speaking; using only full forms can sound stiff, so don't avoid them the way you might in Writing Task 2.
Writing
- Avoid contractions in Task 2, write 'do not' and 'it is' in full, since formal academic register is part of what examiners expect at Band 7+.
- Possessive apostrophe errors (the countrys economy, childrens education) are marked as punctuation mistakes under Grammatical Range and Accuracy; proofread every 's before submitting.