Mastering Apostrophes and Hyphens

Mastering Apostrophes and Hyphens: Common Mistakes and Usage Tips

Have you ever stared at a word in a document you’re writing, wondering if you need an apostrophe or if the two words should be connected with a hyphen? You're not alone. These tiny punctuation marks can cause confusion for writers at all levels. In this article, we demystify apostrophes and hyphens, saving you from embarrassing mistakes and helping you write with clarity and confidence.

Understanding Apostrophes

An apostrophe is a punctuation mark used to indicate possession. The apostrophe may be small, but it holds significant meaning in written documents. Clearly understanding its uses will help you improve your writing.

Two Main Uses

Apostrophes serve two primary functions:

  1. Showing possession
    • Sam's book (the book belongs to Sam)
      • Sam’s book is on the table.
    • The cat's toy (the toy belongs to the cat)
      • The dog is playing with the cat’s toy.
    • The children's playground (the playground belongs to the children)
      • I heard laughter from the children’s playground.
  2. Indicating a contraction
    • Don't (do not)
      • The books don’t look too long.
    • She's (she is)
      • She’s on top of the world.
    • They're (they are)
      • They’re all at the party together.

These rules seem simple, but it can be hard to know the spelling of words using a contraction. Confusion can also arise when dealing with plural possessives or words that already end in "s."

Singular possessive:

  • The cat's toy (one cat)
    • The cat’s toy is in the corner by the dog’s bone.
  • James's car (belongs to James)
    • I left my coat in James’s car.

Plural possessive:

  • The cats' toys (multiple cats)
    • The cats’ toys are in the corner by the dog’s bone.
  • The Smiths' house (the family named Smith)
    • We went over to the Smiths’ house yesterday.

Pro Tip: For singular proper nouns ending in "s" (like James), style guides differ. Both James' and James's are acceptable depending on which style guide you follow. The important thing is to be consistent within a single document. For example, if you’re writing an article and follow a style guide that recommends using James’ as the possessive form, be sure to use that form throughout the document.

Real-Life Apostrophe Mistakes

Let's examine some apostrophe errors commonly seen in the “real world”:

1. The Greengrocer's Apostrophe

This apostrophe is named for a common mistake seen on produce signs. The error involves adding apostrophes to basic plurals:

❌Incorrect: "Fresh lemon's for sale"
✅Correct: "Fresh lemons for sale"

2. Its vs. It's Confusion (see Its vs. It’s for more details)

Misunderstanding its versus it’s is a common apostrophe mistake:

❌Incorrect: "The dog lifted it's leg."
✅Correct: "The dog lifted its leg." (possessive pronoun)

❌Incorrect: "Its going to rain tomorrow."
✅Correct: "It's going to rain tomorrow." (contraction of "it is")

Remember that "it's" ALWAYS means "it is" or "it has." If you can't substitute one of those two phrases, you should use "its."

3. Decades and Acronyms

Another frequent apostrophe error occurs when the writer needs to pluralize decades or acronyms:

❌Incorrect: "This is popular music from the 1990's."
✅Correct: "This is popular music from the 1990s."

❌Incorrect: "I have several DVD's in my collection."
✅Correct: "I have several DVDs in my collection."

4. Company Names

Many businesses make intentional style choices with apostrophes, but technically:

❌Common but technically incorrect: "McDonald's" (if referring to multiple McDonald restaurants)
✅Technically correct: "McDonald's is a popular restaurant." (referring to the company as a singular entity)

What Is a Hyphen?

A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark used to join words or parts of words. Shorter than both the en dash (–) and em dash (—), the hyphen connects compound terms and breaks words at the end of a line of text.

When to Use a Hyphen

Knowing when to use hyphens can dramatically improve your writing clarity. Here are the primary situations when hyphens are required:

1. Compound Modifiers Before Nouns

When two or more words work together to modify a noun, they often need a hyphen:

  • Well-known singer
  • State-of-the-art gymnasium
  • Eight-year-old child

However, when these modifiers come after the noun, they typically don't need hyphens:

  • The singer is well known .
  • The gymnasium is state of the art .
  • The child is eight years old.

2. Compound Numbers and Fractions

With the exception of certain style guides, hyphens are generally used in written-out numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine and fractions:

  • Twenty-two students
  • Forty-six minutes
  • Two-thirds majority

3. Prefixes

Some prefixes require hyphens, especially:

  • With proper nouns: anti-inflammatory , pre-kindergarten
  • With self-: self-respect , self-control
  • To avoid confusion: re-cover (to cover again) vs. recover (to get better)
  • With ex-, all-: ex-wife , all-inclusive

4. Avoiding Ambiguity

Hyphens clarify meaning when words could be misinterpreted:

  • A small-business owner (owner of a small business)
  • A small business owner (could be interpreted as a business owner who is small in stature)

Common Hyphen Mistakes

1. Confusing Hyphens with En Dashes and Em Dashes

❌Incorrect: "The meeting will run from 1-3 PM."
✅Correct: "The meeting will run from 1–3 PM." (This time frame requires an en dash instead of a hyphen)

2. Hyphenating Adverb-Adjective Combinations

❌Incorrect: "It was a highly-rated event."
✅Correct: "It was a highly rated event." (No hyphen needed with -ly adverbs)

3. Inconsistent Hyphenation

❌Incorrect: "She is a well-respected, high profile expert."
✅Correct: "She is a well-respected, high-profile expert." (Be consistent with similar constructions)

4. Unnecessary Hyphens with Prefixes

❌Incorrect: "The pre-existing condition"
✅Correct: "The preexisting condition" (Most prefixes don't require hyphens)

The use of hyphens varies with prefixes. Generally, prefixes like "pre," "post," "non," "anti," and "re" don't need hyphens, but exceptions exist when there’s a need to avoid confusion or awkward combinations.

Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

Let's practice what you've learned! Choose the correctly punctuated option:

  1. Apostrophe Quiz:
    • a) The Smiths’ house
    • b) The Smiths's house
    • c) The Smith’s house

  2. Hyphen Quiz:
    • a) She's a well known editor.
    • b) She's a well-known editor.
    • c) She's a well known-editor.

  3. Apostrophe or No Apostrophe:
    • a) Its time to begin.
    • b) It's time to begin.
    • c) Its' time to begin.

  4. Hyphen Applications:
    • a) A mid-century modern house
    • b) A mid century modern house
    • c) A midcentury modern house

Answers: 1-a (for the family named Smith), 2-b, 3-b, 4-a

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a hyphen used for in everyday writing?

A hyphen joins words to form compound terms or breaks a word at the end of a line. In everyday writing, hyphens most commonly appear in compound modifiers (e.g., "user-friendly software"), certain prefixed words (like "self-respect"), and written-out numbers between 21 and 99.

When is a hyphen used with compound modifiers?

Use a hyphen with compound modifiers when they appear before the noun they modify. For example: "state-of-the-art technology," "full-time job," or "blue-green eyes." However, when these same modifiers appear after the noun, they typically don't need hyphens: "The technology is state of the art."

When is a hyphen used for prefixes like "pre" and "re"?

Most prefixes don't require hyphens (e.g., restart), but hyphens should be used in some cases: proper nouns (e.g., pre-Victorian); to avoid confusion (re-sign, or sign again vs. resign or quit; with self-, ex-, and all- (e.g., self-respect, ex-partner, all-inclusive); when the prefix ends with the same letter the word begins with (e.g., anti-inflammatory, co-owner).

What are the most common real-life apostrophe mistakes?

The most common apostrophe errors include: using apostrophes in basic plurals (orange's instead of oranges); confusing its (possessive) with it's (contraction of "it is"); incorrect placement in plural possessives (the Smiths' house, not the Smith's house for the entire family); and misusing apostrophes in acronyms and decades (DVDs, not DVD's; 1980s, not 1980's).

Is it "James's car" or "James' car"?

Both forms can be correct depending on which style guide you follow. Traditional guides like Chicago Manual of Style recommend "James's truck," while some journalistic styles prefer "James' truck." The important thing is to be consistent throughout a document.

Can hyphens change the meaning of a word or sentence?

Yes! Consider this example: “Thirty odd people attended” (approximately 30 strange people) versus “Thirty-odd people attended” (a bit more than 30 people attended).

Conclusion

Mastering apostrophes and hyphens might seem like a small detail, but these punctuation marks can significantly impact the clarity and professionalism of your documents. By understanding when to use these marks and avoiding common mistakes, you'll write with greater confidence and precision.

Remember these key takeaways:

  • Apostrophes show possession or indicate contractions—never use them for simple plurals.
  • The use of a hyphen depends primarily on compound modifiers, certain prefixes, and instances where clarity is needed.
  • When in doubt about hyphens, consult a current style guide or expert.

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