Apostrophes can be difficult. Sometimes they form possessives. Sometimes they form contractions. Can they ever do something plural? Second, apostrophes are sometimes used to represent words in non-standard forms of English: for example, Scottish poet Robert Burns writes gi` to give and a` for all. It is unlikely that you will need this device unless you quote such works. Some words that were contractions long ago are still conventionally written with apostrophes, although longer forms have more or less fallen into disuse. There are so few that you can easily learn them all. Here are the most common, with their longer original forms: A contraction is a word formed by painting two words. When the two words are combined, a letter is omitted and an apostrophe is added in its place. Usually, a pronoun and a verb are used when contractions are formed.

Finally, there are circumstances where apostrophes are used to represent the omission of material in cases that are not exactly contractions. First of all, some surnames of non-English origin are written with apostrophes: O`Leary (Irish), D`Abbadie (French), D`Angelo (Italian), M`Tavish (Scottish Gaelic). They are not really contractions because there is no other way to write them. The apostrophe is used to write contractions – that is, abbreviated forms of words from which one or more letters have been omitted. In Standard English, this is usually only done with a small number of conventional elements, usually verbs. Here are some of the most common examples with their non-contractual equivalents: There is nothing wrong with using such contractions in formal writing, but you should use them sparingly as they tend to make your writing less than completely formal. Since I`m trying to make this document talkative rather than intimidating, I`ve used a few contractions here and there, but not as much as I could have used. But I advise you not to use the more familiar contractions she would have made in her formal writing: these things, while perfectly normal in language, are a little too informal for careful writing.

There are other contractions that are often heard in speech. Here are some of them: As with any punctuation, overuse of contractions can reduce effectiveness and effect, so be careful with your use to avoid this problem. The apostrophe has two functions: it marks possession and is used in contractions to indicate where letters were omitted. The possessive apostrophe is also a well-known punctuation mark used to create possession. Its use indicates the ownership of an article and should never be confused with apostrophes for contractions. Most contractions are avoided in formal writing and speaking scenarios. Using them can indicate informality and represent a tone you didn`t want to add to your text. Repeat the above activity to find property apostrophes.

Determine if there are one or more owners. Such truncated forms are not considered contractions and should not be written with apostrophes. Writing things like “hippopotamus,” “bra,” “cello,” and “phone” so you don`t mince words makes you look like an affected old fool who doesn`t approve of anything that`s happened since 1912. Of course, some of these truncated forms are still quite familiar, and in formal writing, you`d rather write detective and alligator than tec and gator. Others, on the other hand, are perfectly normal in formal writing: even the most worthy music critic would call Ofra Harnoy`s instrument the cello; He would not use any more cello than he would apply the word omnibus to a London double-decker. Ask students to highlight contractions and then replace the two words they replace. Discuss the poetic and practical reasons for contractions. A few generations ago, there were a few more contractions in the regular use of English; These other contractions are archaic now, and you wouldn`t normally use any of them except in direct quotations from older written works. Here are some of them, with their longer forms: Apostrophes are often used to replace missing letters in the formation of contractions.