GRADE 8 Copyright © 2015 by Write Score LLC

There are three main rules for using apostrophes. o Forming possessives of nouns o Showing omission of letters o Indicating plurals of lowercase letters

Forming possessives of nouns:  Pass the “of the” Test: o The girl’s dress = the dress of the girl o Four day’s vacation = vacation of the four days  Three Ways to Fail the “of the” Test: o Buildings: room of the hotel = hotel room (not hotel’s room) o Objects: door of the car = car door (not car’s door) o Furniture: leg of the chair = chair leg (not chair’s leg)

 Add –s to the singular form of the noun. o Her brother’s game  Add –s to the plural form of the noun that does not end in –s. o The children’s toys  Add –s to the end of compound nouns. o My step-sister’s jacket

 Add –s to the last noun to show joint possession of an object. o Bill and Mary’s house (Both Bill and Mary own/live in the house.)  Add –’ to plural nouns that end in –s. o Two dogs’ toys (the same toys shared by both of the dogs)

 Showing omission of letters: o To form contractions, the apostrophe is used in the place of the omitted letters. I am = I’m I will = I’ll He is = He’s Who is = Who’s

 More contractions: I have = I’ve Should have = Should’ve (*NOT should of) I do not = I don’t He does not = He doesn’t I will not = I won’t 1965 = ’65

Plural Lowercase Letters:  Indicating plurals of lowercase letters: o Mind your p’s and q’s!  No apostrophes are needed after: o Capital letters: There are ATMs all over the city. o Numbers: My parents love music from the 1980s. o Symbols: People overuse #s.

2.I was then "lying round loose" in the lake. I had no idea that I was in any personal peril from the water; all that disturbed me was the fact that I could not swim fast enough to keep out of the principal's way. The treacherous breeze had deserted me in the midst of my triumph, and consigned me to the tender mercies of my persecutor. 3.I swam away from the boat which had been pursuing me, as though from an instinct which prompted me to escape my oppressor; but Mr. Parasite, without giving any attention to my sinking craft, ordered his men to pull again; and he steered towards me. Of course a few strokes enabled him to overtake me. If I had had the means, I would have resisted even then, and avoided capture;

for I could easily have swum ashore. But it would have been childish for me to hold out any longer; and when one of the men held out his oar to me, I grasped it, and was assisted into the boat. 4."Are you satisfied, Thornton?" said Mr. Parasite, with a sneer, as I shook myself like a water dog, and took my seat in the boat. 5."No, sir; I am not satisfied," I replied. 6."What are you going to do about it?" 7."I don't know about that; I will see in due time."

1. The shirt of my sister My sister’s shirt was ruined after she got spaghetti sauce all over it. 2.The cap of my pen My pen cap fell off and ink got all over my backpack. Guided Practice: Answers

3.The apartment of John and Kelly John and Kelly’s apartment is really nice. 4.The charger of my phone My phone charger is broken; may I borrow yours?