1. Apostrophes Use an apostrophe to show possession
Singular: put the apostrophe before an s
Roland’s sword
Mom’s meatloaf recipe
Unless the word ends in s and an ‘s would be awkward
Mr. Rodgers’ class
the witness’s testimony

2. Apostrophes Plural: put the apostrophe after the s
The players’ uniforms
the volunteers’ efforts
Form the possessive of the last word in a compound word or when showing joint possession:
brother-in-law’s
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s plan

3. Apostrophes
Form the possessive of each noun in a word group when showing individual possession
Shakespeare’s and Miller’s plays
Contractions: use apostrophes to show where characters have been replaced
Let us = let’s
You will = you’ll
Do not = don’t

4. Apostrophes
The only time you use apostrophes for plurals is with letters, numbers, and words referred to as words.
Mind your p’s and q’s.
Don’t use so many and’s in your writing.