Writing Activity:
A. We have seen that apostrophes are used to show missing
letters in shortened words.
Example: I don't smoke! But apostrophes are also used to show what someone owns or has. For example, "the friend of the boy" can be shortened to "the boy's friend", or "the cages of the mice" to "the mice's cages".B. Shorten the following phrases using an apostrophe:
Example: the face of the boy - the boy's face 1. the cars of the men - 2. the toys of the child - 3. the chair of the teacher - 4. the house my friend lives in - 5. the book belonging to your sister - 6. the birthday of Yoichi - 7. the hair of Edvard - 8. the beds of the children - C. When there is already an "s" on the word (for example : in most plurals), we just put an apostrophe at the end of the word. So "the teacher of the girls" is shortened to "the girls' teacher" and "the covers of the books" to "the books' covers".Shorten the following phrases using an apostrophe:
Example: the grades of the students - the students' grades 9. the cars of the teachers - 10. the zip of the trousers - 11. the houses the boys live in 12. the legs on the tables - 13. the bikes belonging to the boys - 14. the friends of my friends 15. the houses owned by your brothers - 16. the hands on those clocks -D. Now put in an apostrophe in the correct place in the following sentences:
17. The teacher was pleased with the students grades (one student). 18. The teacher was pleased with the students grades (all the students) 19. The mens faces were covered in dirt. 20. The tigers cages need cleaning (there's more than one tiger). 21. The ladys coat was covered in mud. 22. The ladies coats were covered in mud. 23. My friends friends are coming to my party (I have only one friend). 24. My friends friends are coming to my party (I have lots of friends). 25. Why don't you like those girls paintings? 26. My great great grandfather is my fathers fathers father!E. In the following sentences some apostrophes are in the wrong place and there are some missing. Correct the sentences!
27. I dont like my friends new dog's. (more than one friend) 28. Thats' not your book -its my friends. (one friend) 29. Where were you yesterday? - Sorry we cant tell you now; were in the middle of a test. 30. Its wrong to take somebodys skateboard. 31. My parent's car need's repairing. 32. My sisters' teacher has three cars'. (You have one sister) 33. He's lost his brother's walkman. (He has one brother) 34. Whose record's are these? 35. Whos coming to your party? - My friends and my friends friends! 36. He does'nt like my fathers' car.
Answers
1. the cars of the men - the men's cars 2. the toys of the child - the child's toys 3. the chair of the teacher - the teacher's chair 4. the house my friend lives in - my friend's house 5. the book belonging to your sister - your sister's book 6. the birthday of Yoichi - Yoichi's birthday 7. the hair of Edvard - Edvard's hair 8. the beds of the children - the children's beds 9. the cars of the teachers - the teachers' cars 10. the zip of the trousers - the trousers' zip 11. the houses the boys live in - the boys' houses 12. the legs on the tables - the tables' legs 13. the bikes belonging to the boys - the boys' bikes 14. the friends of my friends - my friends' friends 15. the houses owned by your brothers - my brothers' houses 16. the hands on those clocks - those clocks' hands 17. The teacher was pleased with the student's grades (one student). 18. The teacher was pleased with the students' grades (all the students) 19. The men's faces were covered in dirt. 20. The tigers' cages need cleaning (there's more than one tiger). 21. The lady's coat was covered in mud. 22. The ladies' coats were covered in mud. 23. My friend's friends are coming to my party (I have only one friend). 24. My friends' friends are coming to my party (I have lots of friends). 25. Why don't you like those girls' paintings? 26. My great great grandfather is my father's father's father! 27. I don't like my friends' new dogs. (more than one friend) 28. That's not your book -it's my friend's. (one friend) 29. Where were you yesterday? - Sorry we can't tell you now; we're in the middle of a test. 30. It's wrong to take somebody's skateboard. 31. My parents' car needs repairing. 32. My sister's teacher has three cars. (You have one sister) 33. He's lost his brother's walkman. (He has one brother) 34. Whose records are these? 35. Who's coming to your party? - My friends and my friends' friends! 36. He doesn't like my father's car.