1. 10 TH GRADE INTERMEDIATE GRAMMAR
WEEK 3
Apostrophes
&
Quotation mark
Raimes, A., & Miller-Cochran, S. K. (2014). Keys for writers (7th ed.). Boston: Wadsworth Pub Co.
Thursday, February 20, 14

2. WHAT IS AN
APOSTROPHE?
Apostrophe looks like comma but we
use it above the line of writing.
Raimes, A., & Miller-Cochran, S. K. (2014). Keys for writers (7th ed.). Boston: Wadsworth Pub Co.
Thursday, February 20, 14

3. WHY DO WE USE APOSTROPHE?
Possession
To indications ownership or possession.
Fred’s books
the government’s plans
a year’s pay
(the books belonging to Fred, the plans of the government, the pay for a year)
Raimes, A., & Miller-Cochran, S. K. (2014). Keys for writers (7th ed.). Boston: Wadsworth Pub Co.
Thursday, February 20, 14

4. POSSESSION
Use –‘s for the possessive form of all nouns except
plural nouns that end with –s:
the hero’s misfortunes, the nation’s capital, the people’s advocate.
Use an apostrophe alone for the possessive form
of plural nouns that end with –s
the heroes’ misfortunes, the states’ governors, liberal politicians’ efforts.
Raimes, A., & Miller-Cochran, S. K. (2014). Keys for writers (7th ed.). Boston: Wadsworth Pub Co.
Thursday, February 20, 14

5. POSSESSION
When to use-­‐‑‘s to single possession:
With individual and joint ownership
With compound nouns
With singular proper nouns ending in –s
In all words that need an apostrophe to single possession
Use only an apostrophe to single possession in plural nouns already ending in –s
Use an apostrophe in contractions
Two occasions to use -­‐‑‘s to form a plural
Use -­‐‑‘s for the plural form of leIers of the alphabet
Use –‘s for the plural form of a word referred to as the word itself
Raimes, A., & Miller-Cochran, S. K. (2014). Keys for writers (7th ed.). Boston: Wadsworth Pub Co.
Thursday, February 20, 14

6. WHY DO WE USE APOSTROPHE?
Contraction
Use an apostrophe to indicate the omission of le2ers in
contracted forms.
didn’t, they’re, can’t, and let’s.
some readers of formal academic writing may object to
such contractions.
Raimes, A., & Miller-Cochran, S. K. (2014). Keys for writers (7th ed.). Boston: Wadsworth Pub Co.
Thursday, February 20, 14

7. DON’T USE
1. Generally, do not use an apostrophe to form the plurals of nouns (see 46).
2. Never use an apostrophe before an –s ending on a verb. Note that let’s is a
contracted form for let us; the –s is not a verb ending.
3. Do not write possessive pronouns(hers, its, ours, yours, theirs) with an
apostrophe.
4. Do not use an apostrophe to form the plural of names or numbers: the Browns;
the 1990s[not 1990’s]; the ’90s [not 0’s].
5. With inanimate objects and concepts, of is often preferred to an apostrophe:
the cost of service, the top of the mountain, the back of the desk.
Raimes, A., & Miller-Cochran, S. K. (2014). Keys for writers (7th ed.). Boston: Wadsworth Pub Co.
Thursday, February 20, 14

8. QUOTATION MARKS
Use quotation marks [ “ ” ] to set off material that
represents quoted or spoken language. Quotation
marks also set off the titles of things that do not
normally stand by themselves: short stories, poems,
and articles. Usually, a quotation is set off from the
rest of the sentence by a comma.
Capital Community College Foundation (n.d.). Quotation Marks. Retrieved from http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/quotation.htm
Thursday, February 20, 14

9. QUOTATION MARKS RULES
Quote exactly the words used by the original speaker or writer.
Pair opening quotation marks with closing quotation marks to indicate
where the quotation ends and your ideas begin.
Use correct punctuation to introduce and end a quotation, and place other
marks of punctuation carefully in relation to the Quotation marks.
Enclose the titles of articles, short stories, songs, and poems in Quotation
marks.
Enclose any added or changed material in square brackets.
Raimes, A., & Miller-Cochran, S. K. (2014). Keys for writers (7th ed.). Boston: Wadsworth Pub Co.
Thursday, February 20, 14

10. QUOTATION MARKS RULES
After an introductory verb, such as say, state, or write, use a comma
followed by a capital leIer to introduce a direct quotation.
Use a colon after a complete sentence introducing a quotation, and being
the quotation with a capital leIer
When a quotation is integrated into the structure of your own sentence,
use no special introductory punctuation other than quotation marks
Raimes, A., & Miller-Cochran, S. K. (2014). Keys for writers (7th ed.). Boston: Wadsworth Pub Co.
Thursday, February 20, 14

11. Thursday, February 20, 14