For example, the apostrophe in the word "can't" indicates that the letter "o" has been omitted from the word "cannot." The apostrophe in the phrase "the boy's bike" indicates that the bike belongs to the boy. And the apostrophe in the contraction "I'm" indicates that the words "I am" have been contracted.
Here are some additional examples of how apostrophes are used:
* To indicate the omission of letters:
* "I'm" (I am)
* "don't" (do not)
* "won't" (will not)
* To indicate possession or ownership:
* "the boy's bike" (the bike belongs to the boy)
* "the girl's doll" (the doll belongs to the girl)
* "the dog's leash" (the leash belongs to the dog)
* To form certain contractions:
* "I'm" (I am)
* "you're" (you are)
* "he's" (he is)
* "she's" (she is)
* "it's" (it is)
* "we're" (we are)
* "they're" (they are)
* "who's" (who is)
* "what's" (what is)
* "where's" (where is)
* "when's" (when is)
* "how's" (how is)
Apostrophes can also be used to indicate the plurals of certain nouns that end in "s." For example, the plural of the noun "bus" is "buses," and the plural of the noun "glass" is "glasses."
Apostrophes can be a tricky punctuation mark to use correctly, but by following the rules outlined above, you can avoid common errors.