Improve Your Writing

The two boy's rucksacks were found at the water's edge.

	a)	There are two boys, the sentence should read "boys' rucksacks".
	b)	The apostrophe in "water's edge" should not be there.
	c)	The rucksacks belong to the boys and need an apostrophe, "rucksack's".
a) Well done. The apostrophe on boy's is incorrectly placed. a) The apostrophe on boy's is incorrectly placed. b) Well done. The phrase means 'the edge of the water' and so needs an apostrophe. b) The phrase means 'the edge of the water' and so needs an apostrophe. c) Well done. The apostrophe is added to the possessor, not the possession.c) The apostrophe is added to the possessor, not the possession.

The building had lost all its window's and door's.

	a)	Its is a possessive form and needs an apostrophe.
	b)	The doors and windows are plural and need the apostrophe after the final 's'.
	c)	The doors and windows do not need an apostrophe.
a) Well done. Its is a possessive form and certainly does not need an apostrophe. a) Its is a possessive form and certainly does not need an apostrophe. b) Well done. The doors and windows are the possessions and do not need an apostrophe. b) The doors and windows are the possessions and do not need an apostrophe. c) Well done. The doors and windows are the possessions and do not need an apostrophe. c) The doors and windows are the possessions and do not need an apostrophe.

New York's skyline has lost two of it's most famous buildings.

	a)	New York is a proper noun and does not need an apostrophe.
	b)	'It's' should not have an apostrophe as it's possessive.
	c)	The buildings belong to the skyline and need an apostrophe.
a) Well done. You can add an apostrophe to a proper noun if necessary. a) You can add an apostrophe to a proper noun if necessary. b) Well done. 'It's' can only be used when it is short for it is or it has.b) 'It's' can only be used when it is short for it is or it has.c) Well done. The buildings do not need an apostrophe. Apostrophes are added to the possessor. c) The buildings do not need an apostrophe. Apostrophes are added to the possessor.

Whos taken Paul's shoes?

	a)	There should be an apostrophe in who's as it is short for who has.
	b)	The shoes are plural and so Paul's should be Pauls'.
	c)	The shoes belong to Paul, so they should have an apostrophe.
a) Well done. There should be an apostrophe in who's to indicate the missing letters.a) There should be an apostrophe in who's to indicate the missing letters.b) Well done. There is only one Paul, so the apostrophe is correctly placed. b) There is only one Paul, so the apostrophe is correctly placed. c) Well done. The shoes are the possessions not the possessor and need no apostrophe. c) The shoes are the possessions not the possessor and need no apostrophe.

The three car's tyres were found in the only suspect's flat.

	a)	The suspect does not need an apostrophe.
	b)	The apostrophe in car's is incorrecly placed.
	c)	The tyres belong to the car and need an apostrophe.
a) Correct. The suspect owns the flat, so he (or she) needs an apostrophe. a) The suspect owns the flat, so he (or she) needs an apostrophe. b) Correct. There are three cars, so the apostrophe should come after the s (cars').b) There are three cars, so the apostrophe should come after the s (cars').c) Correct. The tyres do not need an apostrophe. c) The tyres do not need an apostrophe.

The children's books and pencils were put in their bags.

	a)	Children is plural and so the apostrophe should come after the 's'.
	b)	The bags belong to the children, so they should have an apostrophe.
	c)	The books and pencils end in an 's', so they need an apostrophe.
a) Correct. The apostrophe comes after the poseeseeor or possessors and is correctly placed in this sentence. a) The apostrophe comes after the poseeseeor or possessors and is correctly placed in this sentence. b) Correct. The bags are possessions, so don't need an apostrophe. b) The bags are possessions, so don't need an apostrophe. c) Correct. The books and pencils are possessions so don't need an apostrophe. c) The books and pencils are possessions so don't need an apostrophe.

I would like to see all those actor's together on that theatres famous stage.

	a)	The theatre owns the stage and so it needs an apostrophe.
	b)	The apostrophe in actor's is not needed.
	c)	There are lots of actors, so the apostrophe should come after the 's'.
a) Correct. It is the stage of the theatre. so an apostrophe is needed. a) It is the stage of the theatre. so an apostrophe is needed. b) Correct. There is no possession indicated with the actors, so no apostrophe is needed. b) There is no possession indicated with the actors, so no apostrophe is needed. c) Correct. There is no possession indicated with the actors, so no apostrophe is needed. c) There is no possession indicated with the actors, so no apostrophe is needed.

The singer's voice was considered one of the world's best; his' dancing was among the worst.

	a)	There is no need for an apostrophe in world's.
	b)	His is a possessive form; it needs no apostrophe.
	c)	There is no need for an apostrophe in singer's.
a) Correct. Singer's needs an apostrophe. a) Singer's needs an apostrophe. b) Correct. You can never add an apostrophe to 'his'. b) You can never add an apostrophe to 'his'. c) Correct. World's needs an apostrophe. c) World's needs an apostrophe.

All those people's car's make the shop keeper's lives much more difficult.

	a)	People are plural and so the apostrophe should come after the 's'.
	b)	There is no need for an apostrophe in car's.
	c)	The shop keepers are plural and so the apostrophe should come after the 's'.
a) Correct. 'People' is plural already and so the apostrophe is correctly placed. a) 'People' is plural already and so the apostrophe is correctly placed. b) Correct. The car is the possession, so it does not need an apostrophe. b) The car is the possession, so it does not need an apostrophe. c) Correct. The shop keepers are plural and so the apostrophe should come after the 's'. c) The shop keepers are plural and so the apostrophe should come after the 's'.

All the children's books and their parent's coats' were put in the school's lost property bag's.

	a)	The bags are possessions of the school, so they don't need an apostrophe.
	b)	The parents are plural and so the apostrophe should come after the final 's'.
	c)	The coats are possessions and do not need an apostrophe.
a) Correct. The bags are possessions of the school, so they don't need an apostrophe. a) The bags are possessions of the school, so they don't need an apostrophe. b) Correct. The parents are plural and so the apostrophe should come after the final 's'. b) The parents are plural and so the apostrophe should come after the final 's'. c) Correct. The coats are possessions and do not need an apostrophe. c) The coats are possessions and do not need an apostrophe.