KS2 SATs 2023 — English GPS Paper 2: Spelling

The idea

An apostrophe has two main jobs. Its first job is to show that letters are missing in a shortened word, called a contraction. Do not becomes don't, cannot becomes can't, and we are becomes we're. The apostrophe sits where the missing letters would be. Its second job is to show belonging, or possession. One cat's bowl belongs to one cat. The coats of several girls are the girls' coats, with the apostrophe after the s because girls is already plural.

Some plural words do not end in s. Their apostrophe goes before the added s: the children's books and the men's team. An ordinary plural never needs an apostrophe, so the plural of apple is apples, not apple's.

The trickiest pair is its and it's. It's always means it is or it has. Its, without an apostrophe, means belonging to it, just like his or hers. Expand it's in the sentence: if it is does not fit, choose its.

Worked example

Put the apostrophe in the right place: The girls coats were hanging up. (The coats belong to more than one girl.)

1. Girls is plural and already ends in s.
2. The coats belong to the girls, so this is possession.
3. For a plural ending in s, the apostrophe goes after the s.

Answer: The girls' coats were hanging up.

Watch out

• Putting apostrophes in ordinary plurals, such as apple's for more than one apple.
• Using it's for belonging: it's always means it is or it has.
• Putting the apostrophe before the s for plural owners, as in girl's coats for many girls.