The Universe Has Used Up Its Apostrophe Allowance

There is a wide-spread mythological belief system that says there should be an apostrophe anywhere you see the letter "s". It can go before, after, around, or anywhere near this s.

Although this myth is completely untrue, people keep writing things like this:

Family Practice Healthcare is opened Monday’s and Tuesday’s, and the dental care Wednesday’s and Thursday’s. They will no longer see patient's at the downtown buildings.

The tall ones' are for beer.

The phone numbers' for all the new barista's are behind the counter.

It's an apostrophe catastrophe.


Possessive
Use an apostrophe if something belongs to someone. Like: This is Ryan's personal wallet that he owns. (Note that owns does not have an apostrophe.)

Use an apostrophe if a group owns something. Like: The Men's Gardening Center. Or The children's lunchroom.

Just because something is plural does not entitle it to an apostrophe. The children's library cards. (Not The children's library card's.)

Apostrophes indicate ownership.


Contractions
Apostrophes also indicate that a word is contracted. You can say: It's happy hour in Newfoundland because It's is the contraction of It is. You cannot say: Its almost time for your surgery. (Should be: It's almost time.)

When you use an apostrophe to indicate a contraction, the apostrophe is put where the missing letter would be. Like M'am, which is short for Madame. Or let's which is short for let us.

Apostrophes indicate a missing letter.

(c) 2015 Suzann Kale