by Len Morse

Created on: June 13, 2007   Last Updated: November 02, 2009

The apostrophe is one of the most misused punctuations in the United States. A vast majority of us certainly know the difference between a possessive noun and a plural noun, but it boggles the mind how many times you may see these two forms used interchangeably. It's like ignoring any other basic rules - you wouldn't get on a plane to Vienna, Virginia when you really want to go to Vienna, Austria, right?

The apostrophe may be small, but it is of monstrous importance in the writing world and when not used correctly, can create considerable confusion. This is especially true when used with the letter "s".

== Plural Nouns vs. Possessive Nouns (Ownership) ==

The most popular use of the apostrophe is the formation of a possessive noun. That is, giving ownership to your noun:

"Donna noticed that her cat's eyes were two different colors."

"Mark's cell phone kept disconnecting at the most inopportune times."

"There is an amazing amount of molten rock at the earth's core."

The eyes belong to the cat, the cell phone belongs to Mark, and the core belongs to the earth.

So, we can show ownership. It may seem easy to some people, but it still helps to know the basics of when an apostrophe is needed. Let's move on to plural nouns.

A simple plural noun with an "s" is...well, simple. Here are three easy plural nouns (chairs, floors, ships) in separate sentences:

"There are seven chairs around the dining room table."

"Many people appreciate wood floors in a new house."

"I would love to take a cruise on one of those ships."

There is no ownership here; there is simply more than one of each noun. Now let's use the same words, but give them ownership with an apostrophe:

"This chair's seat cushion is awfully lumpy."

"Sandy marveled at the floor's shine."

"The ship's casino is open all night."

Can you see the difference? Similar to the first examples on this page, the seat cushion belongs to the chair, the shine belongs to the floor, and the casino belongs to the ship. It's all about ownership, or using the possessive form of the word.

== Words That End With "s" ==

What about plural nouns that end with an "s"? When do you use an apostrophe and where do they go? Do you use one "s" or two?

When a plural noun ends with "s," you can simply place the apostrophe after the word, but without the extra "s." (Some may argue this point, depending on which rules of grammar your follow and what country you're from.) Here are a couple of examples of plural nouns that end with "s," in their possessive

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