We use an apostrophe for one of three major reasons. To show possession, to show contraction, or to show plurality for letters, numbers, and symbols. There are certain nuances in using apostrophes that you have to be aware of, such as with ‘Mr. Roberts’ vs Mr. Roberts’s’ but if you stick to one style, then you won’t go wrong. With apostrophes, as with most things we cover in these guides, practice will make perfect, and the more you expose yourself to different writers using apostrophes, the better.

Below, we’ll show you what we mean by that in some more detail and provide you with some examples.