Apostrophes — SAT Reading & Writing Explained
Apostrophes are used to form possessives and contractions. Their misuse — especially confusing possessives with plurals, and possessives with contractions — is one of the most common writing errors.
The Core Idea
Apostrophes do two jobs: they mark possession and mark where letters have been omitted in contractions. They are never used to make a word plural.
Apostrophe Rules
the student's paper (one student)
the students' papers (multiple students)
the children's books
it's = it is; they're = they are; you're = you are
Possessive pronouns (its, theirs, yours, whose) — never use apostrophe
Critical Distinctions
its = possessive pronoun (the dog wagged its tail); it's = it is
their = possessive; they're = they are; there = a place or existential marker
whose = possessive; who's = who is
Common Errors to Avoid
Using it's when possessive (its) is needed
Adding an apostrophe to make a word plural: 'apple's' instead of 'apples'
Forgetting the apostrophe in contractions
How This Connects to Other Topics
Foundational punctuation rule; connects to all editing and proofreading tasks
Practice: Apostrophes
5 SAT-style questions. Select your answer and get an instant explanation.
The _____ desks were moved to the hall.
Which choice completes the sentence so that it conforms to Standard English?
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