Bottom line.
Where is the apostrophe placed?
An apostrophe is placed at the end of a word; English beginners call it a top comma.
A comma, whether it’s an upper one or a lower one, changes everything. We have known it since childhood: Execution cannot be pardoned. In Russian, a comma changes its meaning.IN English apostrophe only the quantity changes, but it changes everything!
The girl "
s phone number - girl's phone number
one girl, the same one
Let's move the apostrophe one letter to the right, after -s":
The girls "
phone number - girls phone number
many girls at once, a list
Not everyone will get her number, but their number is here, on the Internet on a pink background, call whenever you want.
This is how an apostrophe works in English. Its job is to form the possessive case animate noun. An apostrophe works either in pairs with the letter s, or alone. Let's see.
Forming the possessive case
1. Singular noun: apostrophe together with the letter s:
| "s | ||||
|
Who? → |
whose bag? → |
|
girls bag girl "s bag |
|
The exception is the pronoun it:
it - he, she, it + s without apostrophe = its - his, her.
Russia and its rules. - Russia and its rules.
If we see it's with an apostrophe, which means we see a non-possessive case: his her, and the abbreviation: it is- it is, or it has- it has.
2. Plural noun - one apostrophe, without the letter s:
| " | ||||
|
Who? - girls |
whose bag? → girls girls " |
 |
girls bag girls " bag |
|
There is no difference in pronunciation, it sounds the same. The difference is only visible in the letter:
girls - girls (who?)
gir ls"- girls (whose?)
girl's - girls, girls (whose?)
IN English language all nouns are plural. numbers end in -s, usually. But there are exceptions to this rule, for example: man-men man - men, woman - women woman's woman. To such exceptions we add an apostrophe along with the letter s.
3. Apostrophe with -s:
| "s | |||
| Who? |
men - men |
whose? |
men's - men |
The possessive case was formed. Now the letter -s at the end of a word must be pronounced correctly - depending on the letter that comes before it.
How to pronounce a word with an apostrophe - rules
Letter s after an apostrophe it is pronounced either voiced or voiceless, or like . Three options:
1. Loudly.
After a voiced consonant the letter s pronounced loudly [z] - girl's.
I have read the story "From one girl"s diary" by Chekhov. - I read Chekhov's story "From one girl's diary."
2. Deaf.
After a voiceless consonant the letter s pronounced dull [s] - cat "s.
Did you see the movie Cat's Eye? - Have you seen the movie “Cat's Eye”?
No! Why do people like horror movies? - No! I don't understand why people love horror movies?
3. Like /iz/.
After a hissing or whistling sound -
-s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -tch, -x, -z, -zz: horse’s, George’s.
Nimble English apostrophe - the result
Apostrophe - he's nimble. We see it before the letter s, then - after, but always with an animate noun.
Apostrophe before a letter s- this is a noun. in units number in possessive case: girl's day - girl's day.
Apostrophe after a letter s- this is a noun. in plural number in possessive case: girls" day - girls' day.
The apostrophe is before the letter again s- this is a noun. - exception in pluralnumber in possessive case: women's secrets - women's secrets.
In English, the apostrophe is also used for abbreviations:
it "s = it is - it is,
it "s = it has - it has.
But the apostrophe shows its nimble and reckless character only when forming the possessive case. Whose? Whose? Just add an apostrophe!
The English language does not have many endings when compared to the Russian language. The connection between words, and therefore the meaning of a phrase or sentence in Russian, is conveyed different types endings - case, generic, tense, conjugation endings and others.
In English, many problems concerning grammar and meaning are solved by fixed word order, prepositions, and a system of auxiliary verbs. But still, endings in some cases are also used in English grammar. One such case is the ending -s.
The endings s and es in English are used in the following cases:
When forming the plural of nouns
break- breaks change - change
birch - birches birch - birches
When forming a third person form singular verbs in the present simple ( Present Simple) time
Lima rarely sews. - Lima rarely sews.
Rebecca washes the porch every weekend. - Rebecca washes the porch every weekend.
The ending s for verbs in English
1. When to put the ending s in English
The 3rd person singular in English is determined by a noun or pronoun (subject). The pronouns he, she, it, or nouns that can be replaced by these pronouns, will be markers that determine the need for -s at the end of verbs in English in present form Simple.
Greta (she) prefers chips with cheese sauce. - Greta (she) prefers chips with cheese sauce.
Yan (he) dresses his son in the morning. - Jan (he) dresses his son in the morning.
Tilda and Melissa (they) try to learn Spanish. - Tilda and Melissa (they) are trying to learn Spanish.
2. How to write English verbs ending in -s (-es)
When adding endings to English words It is necessary to keep in mind that these endings can affect the spelling of the word. The rules for adding the ending s to English verbs in the 3rd person singular form can be presented in the form of a table:
|
The word ends with... |
|||
|
hissing/whistle sound (ch, sh, s, ss, -z, -x) |
He mi xes English and Spanish words, it's really funny. |
He mixes English and Spanish words, it's really funny. |
|
|
Lima d oes her hair once a week. |
Lima gets her hair done once a week. |
||
|
vowel plus -y |
Lima st ays at school till late. |
Lima stays at school late. |
|
|
consonant plus -y |
Es (-y changes to -i) |
Lima's father always carr ies out his promises |
Lima's father always keeps his promises. |
|
all other words |
Rebecca usually pi ns the messages to the door. |
Rebecca usually puts notes on the door. |
3. How to pronounce English verbs ending in -s (-es)
The pronunciation of the ending -s (-es) is possible in three different ways. It can be conveyed by the sounds [s], [z], . The pronunciation option, as well as spelling, depends on the sound with which the verb ends.
4. When a verb in the Present Simple does not need an ending -s (-s)
As already mentioned, in the third person singular tense Present Simple verb the ending -s is required. But according to the rules of this time, such an ending is added to the verb only in affirmative sentences.
As follows from the rule, in denials and questions to the aid of semantic verb the auxiliary comes. In the case of the Present Simple, this is the verb do. It is used in all forms except the 3rd person singular.
Do they often repeat these words? - Do they often repeat these words?
They don't often repeat these words. - They don't often repeat these words.
At the same time, in the 3rd person singular. the number ending does not go away - it moves from the main verb to the auxiliary one. Thus, do turns into does.
Lima adores such kind of scent. - Lima loves this smell.
Lima doesn't like this kind of scent. - Lima doesn’t like this smell.
Does Lima adore such kind of scent? - Does Lima love this smell?
As we can see from the examples, verbs in the 3rd person singular in interrogative and negative forms endings -s are exempted.
5. What other English verbs have an -s ending?
The third person singular category is generally very useful to remember in order to use it correctly whole line English rules. The ending -s can be seen not only in the verbs of this person in the present simple tense. We see traces of it in such forms as:
All these forms are also used in the 3rd person singular. numbers.
To correctly use endings in English, the table of which is given above, you need not only to know the rule, but also to practice regularly. Present Simple is the simplest tense in the English language. And the most common mistake students - missing ending of 3rd person verb. At first, everyone does it without exception. Don't forget about this feature, do the exercises, speak more - and mistakes will disappear from your speech.
Endings -es and -s are quite common in English. Every English learner needs to understand the rules for using the above endings.
This article will help you quickly and easily understand the essence of this grammatical material. So, the ending -s can serve:
1) indicator 3 l. units part of the verb in;
2) sign;
3) an indicator of the possessive case in nouns;
4) reduction.
Rules for using endings -s/-es have their own specifics. IN affirmative form the third person singular ending is most often added to the verb -s, BUT after root bases on -sh, -ss, -o etc. (see rule below) we use the ending - es. For example,
Pass – passes;
Kiss – kisses;
Finish – finishes;
Wash – washes;
Do – does;
Go – goes.
Ending -s in Present Simple
We use the present simple to express regular actions or constant situations. Ending -s in third person singular h. (he, she, it) in time English verb Present Simple should be added in cases where the subject matches the pronouns "he", "she" or "it".
Rules for writing verbs in the third person singular in the Present Simple
If the verb ends in –ss, sh, ch, x, o– then the ending is added -es .
I always wash up at home.
He always wash es up at home.
If the word has an ending to the consonant and the following one -y, then -y changes to -i plus is added -es .
I sometimes cry.
Baby sometimes cr ies.
If last letter the verb is a vowel -y, then it will only follow -s .
I often play with this toy ship in the afternoon.
Alla often play s with this toy ship in the afternoon.
Reading verb endings in the third person singular
Remember: In negative and interrogative forms, where used auxiliary does(not), the main verb has no endings -s, -es .
Does she sing every day?
Ann doesn't go to that college.
Don't forget about the spelling of the verbs to have and . If these verbs are in the third person singular, then they change dramatically. This can be seen in the following examples:
Daddy has much money.
Jane is tired of doing numerous exercises.
Ending -s in nouns
Ending -s occurs not only in verbs, but also in nouns. In the case of nouns, similar endings, as a rule, are found in plural, or in possessive case. If we are talking about people and animals in the possessive case, then we use ’ s in the case of one actor.
This is the girl’ s doll. – This is a girl’s doll.
The cat' s tail is long. - The cat's tail is long.
But should be used s' in case two or more are involved characters, people or animals.
These are the boys s' boots. - These are boys' boots.
In English there are exception nouns that create the possessive case in the following way:
Those are the men 's hats. - Those are men's hats.
For a complete list of such exceptions, see.
Abbreviations with 's
And finally 's can be not only an indicator of the possessive case, but also an abbreviation. For example:
it is = it's
that is = that's
let us = let's
How long has it been? = How long has it been?
Other abbreviations can be studied in more detail and.
Endings in English occupy an important place in grammar. Although there are only three types of endings, each of them has an important grammatical meaning. Endings are needed for formation, obtaining the verb of formation of the possessive case and temporary forms of the Continuous group, obtaining some forms and in many other grammatical cases, each of which is worth examining in more detail.
Ending s/es
One of the most common endings in the English language is the ending s/es. Adding this ending helps to make the noun plural, possessive, and 3rd person singular verb tense.
Verbs
The Present Simple tense uses the third person singular form of the verb with the ending -s/-es.
Mary makes a pizza– Mary is making pizza.
The Moon goes round the Earth— The moon revolves around the Earth.
Jim likes to lie- Jim likes to lie down.
Plural
Almost all nouns in English form their plural by adding the ending -s/es.
cat - cats(cat - cats)
ball - balls(ball - balls)
eagle - eagles(eagle - eagles)
pen - pens(handle - handles)
If a word ends in -sh, -ch, -z, -x, -o or -ss, the plural form is -es.
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witch - witches(witch - witches)
potato - potatoes(potato - potatoes)
fox - foxes(fox - foxes)
bush - bushes(bushes - bushes)
class - classes(class - classes)
Possessive
The endings of words in the possessive case are always written with an apostrophe. In the case where the noun already ends in -s or is plural, only an apostrophe is added instead of the ending.
it is John's pen- This is John's pen.
Alice's best friend – best friend Alice.
the children's grandfather- children's grandfather.
kids' textbook- children's textbook.
Ending ed
English uses the ending -ed to form the second form correct verb time Past Simple, to form the third form of the regular verb in perfect tenses, and also to create a past participle.
Yesterday she watched new movie- Yesterday she watched a new movie.
Bob has loved her since childhood- He loves her since childhood.
The snow had stopped when Kate left office- The snow stopped when Kate left the office.
Opened window- Open window.
Ending ing
Addition -ing endings serves to form the fourth form of tense verbs Continuous groups And Perfect Continuous, and also to create verbal adjectives. Our table will help you figure this out.
Continius
Gerund
Verbal adjectives (gerunds) are formed by adding the ending -ing.
Mary like swimming- Mary loves swimming.
She likes reading– She loves reading.
Thanks for coming- Thank you for coming.
Video about endings in English:
There are several in English distinctive features. One of them is the apostrophe. This small sign sometimes it becomes big problem for students, since many people confuse when to put an apostrophe and when not to.
Today we will understand its use once and for all. In the article you will learn:
- using an apostrophe to indicate ownership
What is an apostrophe in English?
Apostrophe- This superscript as a comma (").
Although we don't use this sign in Russian, I think you've probably seen it. Many foreign names are abbreviated with an apostrophe. For example: d'Artognan instead of de Artognan.
The apostrophe in English is used in 2 cases that can be easily remembered:
1. To show ownership
2. To indicate a gap when abbreviating words
Let's look at each of these use cases in detail.
Using an apostrophe to indicate ownership
We use an apostrophe to show the identity of an object/person. To do this we just need to add "s to the word that names the owner.
To test ourselves, we can ask questions to such a word: whose?, whose?, whose?, whose?. For example: (whose?) Tom’s computer, (whose?) sister’s dress, (whose?) dog’s ball.
Examples of using apostrophe:
Give me Ann 's copybook.
Give me Anna's notebook.
This is my parent "s car.
This is my parents' car.
I took my friend 's phone.
I took a friend's phone.
Books lie on teacher ’
s desk.
The books are on the teacher's desk.
Hey his sister 's cookies.
He ate his sister's cookies.
When else is an apostrophe used in English?
There are also several nuances to this rule that you need to remember:
1. Owners are multiple people/animals.
In this case, to the word that denotes them (it will be plural), we simply add an apostrophe (") without the letter s . After all, we have already added the ending -s to such words to form plural form(cat - cats - cats", girl - girls - girls", sister - sisters - sisters", friend - friends - friends").
However, if the word is not formed according to the rules (you can read about such exceptions), then we add "s:
2. Two owners
For example: mother and father, Tom and Peter, Mary and Jane.
There are two options for adding an apostrophe here.
- One item belongs to two people
We add "s to last word: mother and father's, Tom and Peter's, Mary and Jane's
Mother and father "s car stays in garage.
Mom and dad's car is in the garage. ( It's about about one car that belongs to two people)
Tom and Mary "s house is big.
Tom and Mary's house is big. (We are talking about the same house owned by both Tom and Mary)
- Each owner has his own item that belongs to him
We add "s to each word: mother"s and father"s, Tom"s and Peter"s, Mary"s and Jane"s
Mother "s and father "s cars stay in garage.
Mom and dad's cars are in the garage. (We are talking about two cars: one belongs to mom, the other to dad)
Tom 's and Mary "s houses are big.
Tom and Mary's houses are large. (We are talking about two different houses which have different owners)
Apostrophe with possessive pronouns in English
We don't add "s to possessive pronouns (her/hers, your/yours, their/theirs), despite the fact that they answer the questions: whose?, whose?, whose?.
Incorrect: She lost her "s pen.
Correct: She lost her pen.
Using an apostrophe to shorten English words
In English we can abbreviate some words. In such cases, we put an apostrophe (") in place of missing letters.
Here are the main accepted abbreviations:
I am = I"m
You are= you're
He is = he's
I have = I've
I would = I'd
I will = I'll
not = n't
Examples:
He's studying now.
He is studying now.
We're ready.
We are ready.
I"m calling him.
I call him.
They can't leave.
They can't leave.
I'll translate.
I will translate.
So, an apostrophe is a sign in the form of a superscript comma ("). It is used to show ownership or for abbreviation. Now let's practice using it in practice.
Reinforcement task
Translate the following sentences into English:
1. This is my friends' wedding.
2. Take Tom's car.
3. This is my dog's ball.
4. We will live in her parents' house.
5. Bring Kate and Peter's laptops.
6. He ate Dasha’s apple.
7. Peter's friends will arrive tomorrow.
8. John and Mary's phones are on the table.
Leave your answers in the comments below the article.