Apostrophes, Hyphens, Dashes, Parentheses

14.6-7

Apostrophes

• Use an apostrophe in contractions and in other places where letters, words or numbers have been omitted.– We’re darlin’ ma’am o’clock– Spring of ’47

Apostrophes• Use an apostrophe to show possession.

– Singular Words: add ‘s• The boy’s truck

• Nobody’s business

– Plural Words Ending in s: add an apostrophe• Students’ grades

– Plural Words Not Ending in s: add ‘s• Men’s restroom

– Singular Words Ending in s• 3+ syllable Words – add apostrophe

– Mrs. Martinas’ dress

• 2 syllable Words – determine by pronunciation– Jesus’s disciples Jesus’ disciples

Apostrophes– Joint Ownership – apostrophe on last name

• Leo and Jamie’s house

– Individual Ownership – apostrophe on each name• Lily’s and Jessica’s rooms

• Use an apostrophe to form plurals of letters, numbers and specific words.– There are four i’s in Mississippi.– You make your 4’s backwards.– I stutter when I say my and’s.

Hyphens

• Use hyphens in fractions when used as adjectives.– The candidate had a two-thirds majority.– Two thirds of the citizens voted.

• Use hyphens with compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine.

Dashes

• Use dashes to signal abrupt breaks or unfinished statements.– The movie – I forgot the name – was really

quite awful.– “How could you possibly-”

Parentheses

• Use parentheses to enclose information that explains or supplements something in a sentence but is of less importance than other information in that same sentence.– Senator Levin (Michigan) voted on that issue.– J.C. Mount (1927-2001) was my grandfather.