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 I have seen 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 renowned 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. No-brainer.

So, we've got "showing ownership". Easy, right? Well, if you've seen the same misplaced apostrophes I've seen on e-mails and web sites (and I'm sure you have), you would probably go screaming into the night, never to be heard from again. Even if this misuse does not bother you, it still helps to know when an apostrophe is appropriate.

A simple plural noun with an "s" is...well, simple. Let's put 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. Okay, 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 's'?" I hear you stoically point out. "I can never tell when to use apostrophes, or where they go! Do I use one 's' or two?"

I feel your pain. When a plural

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