5 mistakes learners make with apostrophes, each one named and explained.
An apostrophe shows possession or a missing letter. It never makes a plural.
'The childrens' coats were wet' is chosen, with an apostrophe after a plural that has no s.
The rule is remembered as 'plural owners take the apostrophe after the s', and children is already plural, so the s gets supplied to put it after.
Question. coats belonging to the children
A common answer. the childrens' coats
The answer. the children's coats
Why. Children is already plural, so it takes the apostrophe and an s like any singular owner.
Make the plural first. Only add the apostrophe after an s that is already there.
More than one dog is written as 'the dog's', so 'The dog's were barking' looks right.
An apostrophe almost always arrives just before an s, and plurals end in s too, so the two rules land in the same place and get merged.
Question. The dog's were barking loudly.
A common answer. the dog's, meaning more than one dog
The answer. The dogs were barking loudly.
Why. Nothing belongs to anything here, so nothing needs an apostrophe.
Ask what belongs to what. If the answer is nothing, the apostrophe goes.
'Its' a lovely day' is chosen, or 'the dog wagged it's tail' is written.
Every other possessive takes an apostrophe, so its looks like the one that is missing one, when it is the exception.
Question. it is a lovely day, shortened
A common answer. its a lovely day
The answer. it's a lovely day
Why. The apostrophe stands for the missing i of is.
Read it as 'it is'. If the sentence still works, it takes the apostrophe.
One dog's bowl is written as 'the dogs' bowl', which says several dogs own it.
Both forms exist and both are correct somewhere, so the choice feels arbitrary rather than carrying meaning.
Question. a bowl belonging to one dog
A common answer. the dogs' bowl
The answer. the dog's bowl
Why. The apostrophe goes after the owner, and the owner here is one dog.
Write the owner first, then add the apostrophe. The owner decides the side.
'The dogs bowl was empty' is chosen as correct, with the apostrophe missing.
It is heard as one word and the apostrophe makes no sound, so nothing in speech reminds you it is there.
Question. the bowl belonging to the dog
A common answer. the dogs bowl
The answer. the dog's bowl
Why. The bowl belongs to the dog, and belonging is what the apostrophe marks.
If you can say 'belonging to', an apostrophe is owed.
WAJD spots these patterns in your child's answers and names the one behind their wrong answers, instead of just marking them wrong.