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Common mistake Possessive apostrophe error

Possessive Apostrophe Error

One of the most common grammatical mistakes people make is related to the use of possessive apostrophes. Not using an apostrophe where it should be or using it where it shouldn't be can lead to confusion and misunderstandings in written communication. Let's take a look at some common scenarios where possessive apostrophes are often misused:

1. Missing Apostrophe

One common mistake is forgetting to use an apostrophe to indicate possession. Here are a few examples:

  • The dog chased its tail. (Correct)
  • The dogs chased it's tail. (Incorrect - should be "its" without an apostrophe)
  • My sister's cat is very playful. (Correct)
  • My sisters cat is very playful. (Incorrect - should be "sister's" with an apostrophe)

2. Misplaced Apostrophe

Another common error occurs when the apostrophe is placed in the wrong position. Here are a couple of examples:

  • The book belongs to Sara's. (Incorrect - the apostrophe should come after "Sara" to show possession)
  • The cat's are sleeping. (Incorrect - the apostrophe is unnecessary as it's not indicating possession)

3. Plural Nouns with Apostrophes

A common mistake is using an apostrophe when trying to make a plural noun possessive. Here are a few examples:

  • The cat's are hungry. (Incorrect - should be "The cats are hungry" without an apostrophe)
  • I bought some apple's for the pie. (Incorrect - should be "apples" without an apostrophe)

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To avoid such errors and improve your writing overall, consider using a reliable grammar checker like Linguix. It can help you spot possessive apostrophe mistakes and provide suggestions for corrections, ensuring your writing is clear, accurate, and grammatically correct.

Possessive apostrophe error mistake examples

  • Incorrect:
    This is a transcript of the presidents speech from March.

    Correct:
    This is a transcript of the presidents'|president's speech from March.

  • Incorrect:
    This is a transcript of the Presidents speech from March.

    Correct:
    This is a transcript of the Presidents'|President's speech from March.

  • Incorrect:
    The darts trajectory is calculated thus:

    Correct:
    The darts'|dart's trajectory is calculated thus:

  • Incorrect:
    My clients workspace has the premium account.

    Correct:
    My clients'|client's workspace has the premium account.

  • Correct:
    This is a transcript of the president's speech.
  • Correct:
    Publishers today are at loss...
  • Correct:
    Owen was seven years younger.
  • Correct:
    Today, Israel is a major arms supplier to the country.
  • Correct:
    He does not appear to be a viable option for the Buccaneers while Warrick Dunn is out.
  • Correct:
    After dinner, we played cards till eleven.
  • Correct:
    Tom laid his cards down on the table with a smile.
  • Correct:
    Have you tried the Shortcuts app?
  • Correct:
    My random thoughts day after day...
  • Correct:
    That is, the unwillingness to pay for the things society needs.
  • Correct:
    You are responsible for all things frontend related.
  • Correct:
    With these voices anything seems to work.
  • Correct:
    Please give Allen Kurzer 6 guest ids while we work on the agreements.
  • Correct:
    The results of each race are evaluated using the points system to determine two annual World Championships.
  • Correct:
    The Romans may have marked the centre of Londinium.
  • Correct:
    Universities A and B are old universities...
  • Correct:
    Keynesian economists argue that Keynesian policies were one of the primary reasons capitalism was able to recover following the Great Depression.
  • Correct:
    He made his final report to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on U.S. affairs abroad.
  • Correct:
    He gave the customers chips or checks or premium points.
  • Correct:
    Legalized Abortion on Crime, authored by the economists Steven D. Levitt and John Donohue.
  • Correct:
    Gershwin overlays the slow blues theme from section B in the final “Grandioso.”
  • Correct:
    The English darts player is likely to win this tournament.
  • Correct:
    The main communications equipment failed.
  • Correct:
    The darts tip is made of tungsten.
  • Correct:
    The functions sine and cosine take values between -1 and 1.
  • Correct:
    That baby does nothing but cry.
  • Correct:
    The anti-nuclear weapons movement went into decline for some years.
  • Correct:
    The incident resulted in a human resources complaint.
  • Correct:
    This will make the malicious programs spam the persons who have an entry in the address book.
  • Correct:
    The arms shipment is not satisfactory.
  • Correct:
    With the ability to impose boundaries on spaces comes the question of how...
  • Correct:
    Ginsberg and Shig Murao, the City Lights manager who was jailed for selling "Howl," became...
  • Correct:
    The devices comes in a number of variations where they can be...
  • Correct:
    The samples tests were not satisfactory.
  • Correct:
    The standards committee decided against shifting, and so ASCII ...
  • Correct:
    Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the...
  • Correct:
    A Waterford Crystal representation of the Ashes urn has been presented to the winners of ...
  • Correct:
    ...land and Australia was played in 1877, though the Ashes legend started later, after the ninth Test.
  • Correct:
    The upcoming Ashes series in 2013 will be held in England.
  • Correct:
    But not all the earnings news was cheery.
  • Correct:
    For these reasons marijuana cannot be legalized.
  • Correct:
    Every Avengers movie is great.
  • Correct:
    To flush the actions step by step from client to backend and back you need to perform following steps
  • Correct:
    He is a maths genius.
  • Correct:
    He is an operations manager.
  • Correct:
    The earnings release was scheduled for May.
  • Correct:
    ... voted against the ratification of New Start, a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russian Federation.
  • Correct:
    In the old days friendship had more meaning.
  • Correct:
    In the old days friendship really had more meaning.
  • Correct:
    The American Film Institute was founded in 1967 as a national arts organization to preserve the legacy of American film heritage, educate the next generation of filmmakers.
  • Correct:
    As of 2001, he was still a part-time martial arts instructor there.
  • Correct:
    Zoom Video Communications, Inc. is an American communications technology company headquartered in San Jose, California.
  • Correct:
    The ING Group is a Dutch multinational banking and financial services corporation headquartered in Amsterdam.
  • Correct:
    The measles vaccine is almost 100% effective.
  • Correct:
    The clothes hanger is always in the way!
  • Correct:
    The antiquities collection is housed in a state-of-the-art facility.
  • Correct:
    These are the words thou shalt speak to the children of Israel.
  • Correct:
    The transfer to British Telecommunications plc of the business of British Telecom, the statutory corporation, took place on 6 August 1984 and, on 20 November 1984, more than 50 per cent of British Telecom shares were sold to the public.
  • Correct:
    The new restaurant was making the owners money hand over fist.
  • Incorrect:
    Blank noise doing a clothes installation to say

    Correct:
    Blank noise doing a clothes' installation to say

  • Correct:
    TODO: ... including a Reuters photographer Gleb Garanich
  • Correct:
    Their main derivatives guy is Rabon Rabinovich.
  • Incorrect:
    This is a transcript of the presidents speech.

    Correct:
    This is a transcript of the presidents'|president's speech.

  • Incorrect:
    Some users were confused about the add-ons functionality.

    Correct:
    Some users were confused about the add-ons'|add-on's functionality.

  • Incorrect:
    In the old days friendship, we had some fun, but it's all gone now.

    Correct:
    In the old days'|day's friendship, we had some fun, but it's all gone now.

  • Correct:
    This is a transcript of the president's speech.
  • Correct:
    Publishers today are at loss...
  • Correct:
    The Romans may have marked the centre of Londinium.
  • Correct:
    Owen was seven years younger.
  • Correct:
    Universities A and B are old universities...
  • Correct:
    All Souls College, Oxford
  • Correct:
    Last night an explosion took place at a fireworks factory.
  • Correct:
    Everybody in the world desires peace.
  • Correct:
    They'll do that when their turns comes.
  • Correct:
    He kissed his kids goodbye.
  • Correct:
    Physical travel was not the only way in which Catherine made her views known.
  • Correct:
    ...surrounds an attempt to buy a sword from an antiques dealer, with another twist ending.
  • Correct:
    It also occurs in the minerals beryl, cryolite, garnet, spinel and turquoise.
  • Correct:
    ... of the AmX type are known for the elements phosphorus, arsenic, antimony and bismuth.
  • Correct:
    ... hype as compared to actual accomplishments as a singles player—ranked Kournikova...
  • Correct:
    DoCoMo is the world's leading wireless services provider.
  • Correct:
    By toggling the switch next to the glasses icon, you will get more advanced suggestions to perfect your writing.
  • Correct:
    Please find my replies inline.
  • Correct:
    ...on early Islamic philosophy, especially the subjects logic, ethics, and metaphysics, including...
  • Incorrect:
    Please grant me one days' leave of absence on March 1st.

    Correct:
    Please grant me one day's leave of absence on March 1st.

  • Incorrect:
    Almost every animals favorite planet is Earth.

    Correct:
    Almost every animal's|animal favorite planet is Earth.

  • Incorrect:
    I am not sure what my intentions are right now but we enjoy each others company.

    Correct:
    I am not sure what my intentions are right now but we enjoy each other's|other company.

  • Incorrect:
    Detailed Description of each parties responsibility

    Correct:
    Detailed Description of each party's|party responsibility

  • Incorrect:
    As each weapons delivery was made from Israel by air, the hostages held by Hezbollah would be released.

    Correct:
    As each weapon's|weapon delivery was made from Israel by air, the hostages held by Hezbollah would be released.

  • Incorrect:
    This is not unique to Chrysler, every manufacturers owners manual mentions checking your oil and many say how many miles per quart is acceptable.

    Correct:
    This is not unique to Chrysler, every manufacturer's|manufacturer owners manual mentions checking your oil and many say how many miles per quart is acceptable.

  • Incorrect:
    You share each others ideals, interests and adventures like no one else can.

    Correct:
    You share each other's|other ideals, interests and adventures like no one else can.

  • Incorrect:
    There is a report that will be generated with each days trading that will identify who our Active customers are.

    Correct:
    There is a report that will be generated with each day's|day trading that will identify who our Active customers are.

  • Correct:
    Is every Robbins algebra a Boolean algebra?
  • Correct:
    Formula One drivers pay a FIA Super Licence fee, which in 2013 was €10,000 plus €1,000 per point.
  • Incorrect:
    In Gods name, please move!

    Correct:
    In God's name, please move!

  • Incorrect:
    For goodness sake, don't scare me like that!

    Correct:
    For goodness's sake, don't scare me like that!

  • Incorrect:
    He's eating someone's or somethings lunch.

    Correct:
    He's eating someone's or something's|some things|something lunch.

  • Incorrect:
    I think this goes against someones principles.

    Correct:
    I think this goes against someone's|someone principles.

  • Incorrect:
    Nobodys perfect.

    Correct:
    Nobody's perfect.

  • Incorrect:
    No bodys perfect.

    Correct:
    Nobody's perfect.

  • Incorrect:
    Noones perfect.

    Correct:
    No one's perfect.

  • Incorrect:
    No ones perfect.

    Correct:
    No one's perfect.

  • Incorrect:
    Nobodys perfect.

    Correct:
    Nobody's|Nobody perfect.

  • Incorrect:
    Everybodies is perfect.

    Correct:
    Everybody's|Everybody is perfect.

  • Incorrect:
    The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

    Correct:
    The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

  • Incorrect:
    Last week's Readers Digest was very good.

    Correct:
    Last week's Reader's Digest was very good.

  • Incorrect:
    How to Achieve a Runners High.

    Correct:
    How to Achieve a Runner's High.

  • Incorrect:
    The first trailer for the directors cut dropped in June.

    Correct:
    The first trailer for the director's cut dropped in June.

  • Incorrect:
    She lives just a stones throw away from the beach.

    Correct:
    She lives just a stone's throw away from the beach.

  • Incorrect:
    Our Editorial team created the Editors Choice list to highlight the best, the brightest, and/or the soon-to-be-stars on a biweekly basis.

    Correct:
    Our Editorial team created the Editor's Choice|Editors' Choice list to highlight the best, the brightest, and/or the soon-to-be-stars on a biweekly basis.

  • Incorrect:
    Crohns disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

    Correct:
    Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

  • Incorrect:
    Huntington disease is a neurodegenerative disease.

    Correct:
    Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disease.

  • Incorrect:
    The police stopped him and asked for his drivers license.

    Correct:
    The police stopped him and asked for his driver's license.

  • Incorrect:
    With her boss's early retirement, she unexpectedly found herself in the drivers seat.

    Correct:
    With her boss's early retirement, she unexpectedly found herself in the driver's seat.

  • Incorrect:
    He is a wolf in sheeps clothing.

    Correct:
    He is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

  • Incorrect:
    I think it's someone elses problem.

    Correct:
    I think it's someone else's problem.

  • Incorrect:
    I think it's every one elses problem.

    Correct:
    I think it's every one else's problem.

  • Incorrect:
    Prince William County Sheriffs Deputy fired for ‘disturbing’ social media activity.

    Correct:
    Prince William County Sheriff's Deputy fired for ‘disturbing’ social media activity.

  • Incorrect:
    It's no ones business.

    Correct:
    It's no one's business.

  • Incorrect:
    I have a doctors appointment at 8 am.

    Correct:
    I have a doctor's appointment at 8 am.

  • Incorrect:
    Check out our Valentines discount.

    Correct:
    Check out our Valentine's discount.

  • Incorrect:
    That was the straw that broke the camels back.

    Correct:
    That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

  • Correct:
    I will bring the camels back.
  • Incorrect:
    He is the devils advocate.

    Correct:
    He is the devil's advocate.

  • Incorrect:
    Murphys law is an adage or epigram that is typically stated as: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong".

    Correct:
    Murphy's law is an adage or epigram that is typically stated as: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong".

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