extraneous apostrophes before 'are'

Writers often slip an apostrophe before "are" or at the end of a word when they mean a simple plural. Forms like "apple's are" or "friends's" read as possession or a bad contraction instead of a plural.

Below are clear rules, quick fixes, and many before/after examples you can copy into emails, essays, texts, and reports.

Quick answer

Don't use an apostrophe to form ordinary plurals. Apostrophes mark possession (the dog's leash) or omitted letters in contractions (they're = they are). For more than one, write apples, not apple's. If you mean "they are," use they're; don't insert an apostrophe between a noun and are.

Wrong: "Apple's are on the counter."
Right: "Apples are on the counter."
Wrong: "Employee's are signing in."
Right: "Employees are signing in."
If you see an apostrophe before are ("cars' are"), change it to the plain plural: "cars are."

Core explanation (grammar in one page)

Apostrophes serve two jobs: possession (the patient's chart) and contraction (we're = we are). They do not form regular plurals.

When you spot "X's are" the apostrophe is almost always wrong: either remove it for a plural or rewrite for possession.

Possessive: the manager's memo; the students' locker room
Contraction: they're = they are; it's = it is/it has
Plain plural (no apostrophe): apples, cars, reports, managers

Common wrong patterns and fast fixes

Three frequent causes:

Using an apostrophe to pluralize (overgeneralizing the mark).
Leaving an apostrophe when converting a possessive to a plural.
Confusing contractions with plurals (they're vs their).

Fast fixes: if you count items, remove the apostrophe; if you mean ownership, use the correct possessive form; if you mean "are," use the contraction or the full auxiliary.

If you're counting, use a plain plural: apples, meetings, teams.
Singular possession: add 's (the student's paper). Plural possession: add s' (the students' papers).
For "they are," use they're; don't create nonstandard forms like "they's are" or "students's."

Usage: Wrong: "The CD's are on the shelf."
Correct: "The CDs are on the shelf."
Usage: Wrong: "Client's are arriving."
Correct: "Clients are arriving."
Usage: Wrong: "The workers' are ready."
Correct: "The workers are ready."

Examples: wrong → right (copyable fixes)

Compact corrections grouped for quick use.

Wrong: "Apple's are ripe."
Correct: "Apples are ripe."
Wrong: "My friend's are coming."
Correct: "My friends are coming."
Wrong: "The team's are split."
Correct: "The teams are split."
Wrong: "Patient's are waiting in the lobby."
Correct: "Patients are waiting in the lobby."
Wrong: "The data's are inconclusive."
Correct: "The data are inconclusive."
Wrong: "Employee's are at the training."
Correct: "Employees are at the training."
Wrong: "The childrens' are playing."
Correct: "The children are playing."
Wrong: "Report's are available."
Correct: "Reports are available."

Work examples: emails, reports, and meetings

Professional writing benefits from precise plurals. Removing stray apostrophes prevents misreading and improves credibility.

Check subject-verb agreement after you remove an apostrophe ("Clients are" vs "Client is").
For group ownership, use the plural possessive: managers' bonuses.

Wrong: "The client's are waiting for an update."
Correct: "The clients are waiting for an update."
Wrong: "Our team's are split between projects."
Correct: "Our teams are split between projects."
Wrong: "Invoice's are processed on Monday."
Correct: "Invoices are processed on Monday."

School examples: essays, lab reports, and syllabi

Teachers see these errors often. Correct plurals avoid unnecessary grade penalties.

Use a plural without an apostrophe when referring to a class or list of items.
For collective ownership, use a clear plural possessive or rewrite the phrase.

Wrong: "Student's are required to complete the survey."
Correct: "Students are required to complete the survey."
Wrong: "The lab's are open until 6pm."
Correct: "The labs are open until 6pm."
Wrong: "The book's are listed on the syllabus."
Correct: "The books are listed on the syllabus."

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence rather than the phrase alone; context usually clarifies whether you mean possession or plurality.

Casual examples: texts and social posts

Rushed typing creates stray apostrophes. Use correct plurals in public posts to avoid corrections and misunderstandings.

Avoid using apostrophes to pluralize even in short messages; dialectal contractions belong to dialogue or informal speech.

Wrong: "Pizza's are arriving."
Correct: "Pizzas are arriving."
Wrong: "My friends's pictures are here."
Correct: "My friends' pictures are here."
Wrong: "Vacation's are booked!"
Correct: "Vacations are booked!"

Rewrite help: repair sentences fast (step-by-step)

When you spot an apostrophe in a plural context, follow these steps. If a quick fix feels awkward, use a short rewrite.

Step 1: Ask: is this ownership or counting items? If counting, make a plain plural.
Step 2: If ownership, choose singular ('s) or plural (s') and place the apostrophe correctly.
Step 3: If correction reads awkwardly, rewrite with "of" or a clearer noun phrase: "the books of the students" or "students' books."

Wrong: "My friend's are late." Quick fix: "My friends are late." Better
rewrite: "The members of my group are late."
Wrong: "The committee's are divided." Quick fix: "The committees are divided." Possessive
rewrite: "The committee's members are divided on the issue."
Wrong: "The plant's are dying." Quick fix: "The plants are dying." Better
rewrite: "Several houseplants are dying because they're overwatered."

Real usage and tone: contractions and dialect

Standard contractions (they're, we're, you're) are fine in conversation and informal writing. Rare contractions like there're are awkward in formal prose. Dialectal forms such as y'all're belong in dialogue or casual posts, not reports.

If an apostrophe appears right before "are" after a noun ("dogs' are"), it's almost certainly an error.

Use contractions for a conversational tone; avoid nonstandard contractions in formal writing.
In transcriptions, mark contractions only when they reflect actual speech.

Informal: "There're too many to count." Formal: "There are too many to count."
Dialogue (fiction): "Y'all're welcome to join us." Formal: "You are welcome to join us."

Memory tricks, hyphenation, and spacing

Two quick tests help you proofread accurately; follow small spacing rules so punctuation doesn't create new problems.

Mnemonic - The number test: substitute a number. If "The ___ are ready" accepts a number naturally, use a plain plural. Example: "The 3 reports are ready."
Mnemonic - The of-test: replace the phrase with "the X of the Y." If that makes sense, it's possessive. Example: "students' books" = "the books of the students."
Spacing: never insert spaces around apostrophes (wrong: apple ' s).
Hyphens vs apostrophes: do not use hyphens as substitutes for apostrophes or missing letters.

Test: "The ___ are ready." → "The 5 are ready" shows you need a plural: "The 5 files are ready."
Spacing example: Wrong: "apple ' s" -
Correct: "apple's" (possession) or "apples" (plural).

Similar mistakes to watch for

Those who misuse apostrophes on plurals often confuse contractions and possessives. Keep these pairs in mind:

your vs you're - your = possessive; you're = you are.
its vs it's - its = possessive; it's = it is/it has.
Plural possessive placement - singular possessive (student's work) vs plural possessive (students' work).
Decades and abbreviations - write 1990s (no apostrophe) not 1990's unless showing possession.

Wrong: "Its going to be cold."
Correct: "It's going to be cold."
Wrong: "The students's essays were great."
Correct: "The students' essays were great."
Wrong: "I love the 2000's music."
Correct: "I love 2000s music."

FAQ

Can I ever put an apostrophe immediately before "are"?

Only when a valid contraction ends with the apostrophe, such as they're or we're. An apostrophe between a noun and "are" ("dogs' are") to mark a plural is incorrect - change it to "dogs are" or rewrite for possession.

Why do people write "apple's are" instead of "apples are"?

Many overgeneralize the apostrophe as a plural marker. Pause and ask: am I counting items or showing ownership? If you're counting, use a plain plural.

Is "there're" acceptable in writing?

There're exists as a contraction of "there are" but it's rare and awkward in formal writing. Prefer "there are" in essays and reports; use contractions like there're only in quoted or very casual speech.

How do I form plural possessives correctly?

For plural nouns ending in s, add only an apostrophe: the teachers' lounge. For plural nouns that don't end in s (children), add 's: the children's playground.

What's a quick proofreading habit to stop this mistake?

Use the number test: swap in a small number. If "3 X" sounds right, use a plural without an apostrophe. Combine that with reading the sentence aloud to hear whether possession or plurality is intended.

Want a fast second pair of eyes?

An automated check can flag stray apostrophes and suggest correct plural or possessive forms before you send an email, submit an assignment, or post online.

Pair that automated check with the number test above to catch and stop the habit quickly.