Mistakes we make while speaking English

Apostrophes are used:

1. To indicate a missing letter or letters:

CORRECT: I can't go to school.
Which is the same as: I cannot go to school.

CORRECT: I don't smoke.
Which is the same as: I do not smoke.

CORRECT: It's so cold in here.
Which is the same as: It is so cold in here.

2. To indicate a noun's possession:

WRONG: The cars windshield was broken.
CORRECT: The car's windshield was broken.

WRONG: A dogs tail cannot be straightened.
CORRECT: A dog's tail cannot be straightened.

WRONG: Shreyas's collection of stamps is awesome.
CORRECT: Shreyas' collection of stamps is awesome.

3. When the noun is a plural, or ends with the letter 's', the apostrophe comes after the word:

WRONG: The two students's belonging were confiscated.
CORRECT: The two students' belongings were confiscated.

WRONG: The Mehta's house is across the street.
CORRECT: The Mehtas' house is across the street.

Apostrophes must never be used:

1.To indicate plural.

WRONG: The girl's were late.
CORRECT: The girls were late

WRONG: There were no chair's in the room.
CORRECT: There were no chairs in the room.

2. To indicate a pronoun's possession.

WRONG: This land is our's.
CORRECT: This land is ours.

WRONG: This dog is her's.
CORRECT: This dog is hers.

WRONG: Is this your's?
CORRECT: Is this yours?

WRONG: The company maintains it's standards. [This is a very common mistake!]
CORRECT: The company maintains its standards.

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