GCSE
English Language
In this lesson, we will explore the apostrophe, a punctuation mark used to show possession and to form contractions. Using apostrophes correctly makes your writing clearer and helps avoid confusion.
Apostrophe
This is what an apostrophe looks like:
\(\text{'}\)
Apostrophes help us indicate when something belongs to someone or something, such as Sarah’s book or the dog’s tail (a possessive apostropheShows ownership.). They also show where letters have been left out in contractions, like don’t (do not) or it’s (it is) (a contractive apostropheShows missing letters in a contraction.).
Continue the lesson
This section is available to learners with course access. Continue learning with Knowness to unlock the full explanation, examples, revision tools, and progress tracking.
The remaining lesson content includes further guided explanation, important learning points, and supporting interactive material designed to help you understand and revise this topic.
Unlock this topic to view the full activity, worked examples, common mistakes, and additional revision support.
More content available
Knowness lessons are structured to build understanding step by step. Create an account or upgrade your access to continue from this point.
This preview does not include the hidden lesson text, answers, explanations, or embedded interactions.
Continue learning with Knowness
Sign up to access the full lesson, predicted grades, revision tools, progress tracking, and more.
Create a free accountApostrophe
- Two types of apostrophe: possessive and contractive.
Possessive Apostrophe
- Shows ownership by adding an apostrophe and usually an "s" to the noun.
- If the noun is plural and already ends in "s", only add an apostrophe after the final "s".
Contractive Apostrophe
- Shows that letters have been omitted when two words are combined into one (a contraction).
- Common in informal writing and speech.
- Shakespeare often used contractions to fit rhythm and rhyme, and they remain common in modern informal writing.