New
New
Year 3

Apostrophes for contraction and singular possession review

I can show how an apostrophe works for contraction and for singular possession.

New
New
Year 3

Apostrophes for contraction and singular possession review

I can show how an apostrophe works for contraction and for singular possession.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. An apostrophe is an important piece of punctuation with more than one purpose.
  2. An apostrophe can contract two words together.
  3. An apostrophe can show if a noun belongs to another singular noun.
  4. Apostrophes for contraction and singular possession are useful in writing for different reasons.
  5. Apostrophes are most deeply understood when word class is understood.

Common misconception

All words that end in -s need an apostrophe before the -s.

An apostrophe before the 's' is only used for indicating possession in singular nouns, not for all words ending in 's'.

Keywords

  • Apostrophe for contraction - a punctuation mark used to contract two words together

  • Apostrophe for possession - a punctuation mark that can be used to show if a noun belongs to another singular noun

  • Singular - only one

Mastering apostrophes for possession takes longer than apostrophes for contraction. 'Clap to Contract' and 'Grab to Possess' gestures help if you are consistent with both of them. For contraction, put a word on each hand and clap together; for possession, pull the noun that belongs to your chest.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which punctuation mark is an apostrophe?
!
,
" "
Correct answer: '
Q2.
What is a contraction in English?
Correct answer: two words pushed together
two words split up
a pair of adjectives
a list of nouns
Q3.
Where would you see an apostrophe in a word?
low down between the last two letters
above the last letter in the word
at the start of a word
Correct answer: at the same height as the ascender of a letter
Q4.
True or false? Using contractions makes writing more formal.
Correct Answer: false, False, fols, Fols
Q5.
What does it mean if you possess something?
you like it
Correct answer: you own it
you don't know it
Correct answer: it belongs to you
Q6.
In the following sentence, what belongs to Jun? 'Jun's football that he kicked on the pitch was red and white.'
pitch
leg
Correct answer: football

6 Questions

Q1.
Fill in the blank: If you possess something, you __________ it.
like
dislike
do not own
Correct answer: own
Q2.
What belongs to Aisha in the following sentence? 'The class played with Aisha's stickers at playtime.'
class
Correct answer: stickers
playtime
Q3.
What belongs to Lucas in the following sentence? 'Lucas' pencil case went missing yesterday and Mr Clarke has helped him search the classroom.'
Correct answer: pencil case
Mr Clarke
classroom
Q4.
Why is there no s after the apostrophe in the following sentence? 'Ms Jones' dress was blue with white dots.'
Nothing belongs to Ms Jones.
The word 'dress' ends in the letter s.
Correct answer: The name 'Ms Jones' ends in the letter s.
Q5.
Is the apostrophe signalling contraction or possession in the following sentence? 'We won't have time for a film today.'
Correct Answer: contraction, Contraction
Q6.
Is the apostrophe signalling contraction or possession in the following sentence? 'Izzy's sister is coming to school today.'
Correct Answer: possession, Possession