Knowledge of Language - The Apostrophe
This English Language quiz is called 'Knowledge of Language - The Apostrophe' and it has been written by teachers to help you if you are studying the subject at middle school. Playing educational quizzes is a fabulous way to learn if you are in the 6th, 7th or 8th grade - aged 11 to 14.
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Apostrophes (’) are used in two ways. First, they show ownership or possession of singular and plural nouns. Second, they are used to show when there is a missing letter in a contraction.
- Let’s look at an example for the first way, i.e., showing ownership.
Sentence 1: Margaret has a new car.
Sentence 2: Margaret’s new car is blue.
In the first sentence we learn that Margaret has a new car and in the second sentence, the apostrophe (’) with the added letter “s” tells us that the car belongs to Margaret or that Margaret owns the car.
Margaret is the singular subject in the above sentence. When showing possession with a singular subject, the apostrophe comes at the end of the word followed by an “s”. However, when the subject is plural, i.e. the word ends in an “s”, then the apostrophe comes after the “s”. Here is an example:
Sentence 1: The horses were given fresh hay.
Sentence 2: The horses’ hay was fresh.
In the first sentence we learn that “horses” were given fresh hay and in the second sentence we learn that the horses own the hay. As “horses” is plural, meaning there is more than one horse, the apostrophe appears after the “s”. An additional “s” is not added. The exception with putting an apostrophe at the end of a plural noun and adding the “s” is when a plural word does not end in an “s”. Examples of plural words that do not end in “s” include men, women, children and people. When showing possession, they would be written as men’s, women’s, children’s and people’s.
[NOTE: When a proper name ends in an “s” it is treated as a singular subject and is, therefore, given an apostrophe followed by an “s”. For example: Charles is a singular noun. Even though his name ends in an “s”, to show something belongs to Charles it would be written as “Charles’s”.]
- Now let’s look at an example for the second way, i.e., replacing or showing where a missing letter in a contraction is. A contraction is a word or phrase that has been shortened by dropping one or more letters. Examples of some contractions include:
cannot becomes can’t (the apostrophe replaces the second “n” and the “o”)
do not becomes don’t (the apostrophe replaces the “o” in not and connects “do” to “not”)
is not becomes isn’t (the apostrophe replaces the “o” in not and connects “is” to “not”).
Jeff and David go to the same school. That is ______ and ______ school.
The house on the corner is where John lives. ______ house is on the corner.
They are afraid to walk down the alley because _______ scared of the darkness.
He is not going to the picnic because he _____ ready.
The animals were given vitamins. They are the _________ vitamins.
She would not go to the park and she ______ stay there either.
Frances bought a new party dress. The party dress is ________.
We went to see the Lincoln Monument. Have you ever seen _________ Monument?
Trevor brought his car and Jared brought his own car. They are ________ and _______ cars.
The people walked to the court. It was the ________ court.
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