Apostrophes 101

" ' "

I can't stand it anymore. To everybody, everywhere:

Apostrophes do 1 of 2 things:

1. Denote possession
2. Denote contraction

Here's how you use them:

1. Possession:

• If you possess it, and you don't have an S on your name, easy: [Pepper's broccoli].
• If you possess it, and you have an S on your name, easy: [The Jones' broccoli].
  
• TIP: [The Jones's brocolli] would be awkward. DBA [don't be awkward]. It's a plural possessive and should be [The Joneses' broccoli]. Except the Joneses hate broccoli.

• Yours, His, Hers: already possessive. No apostrophe. Ever.

2. Contraction [i.e. two words (or a compound word) become one (or shorter)]:

• Can + Not = "Cannot"; becomes [Can't]. The apostrophe symbolizes the contraction and disappearance of two letters.
• "Is not" becomes [isn't]. The apostrophe symbolizes the contraction and disappearance of one letter.

3. Curveball:

• [Its] is possessive but has no apostrophe. Why? Because:
• [It's] was already taken, and is short for "It is".
  
• Correct: It's difficult to use apostrophes.
• Correct: Grammar--its importance should not be overlooked.
  

Don't ever do this:

• Beaver's build dams.
• Beavers' build dams.

Discretionary:

• If it ends in X or Z. But let's not open that can of worms.

Know it, use it, love it.

_______________________
An addendum for Pete:

You + Are = You're

Your = possessive.

Example: You're loose unless you tighten your grammar.