Fourth Grade English: Apostrophes in Contractions & Possessives
The apostrophe is one of the smallest punctuation marks on the keyboard, yet it carries immense power to alter the meaning of a word. A single misplaced apostrophe can transform a simple plural into ownership, or turn a statement about belonging into a shortened sentence. In fourth grade, you will master the two primary missions of the apostrophe: building contractions by standing in for missing letters, and forming possessive nouns to signal ownership.
Mission 1: The Apostrophe in Contractions
A contraction is a shortened word created by combining two words and replacing one or more missing letters with an apostrophe.
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| HOW CONTRACTIONS ARE CREATED |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| Two Full Words: DO + NOT |
| Squeeze together: DONOT |
| Kick out the 'O': DON T |
| Insert Apostrophe: DON'T |
| ^ |
| +--- Apostrophe marks missing letter 'O' |
| |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
Common Contraction Patterns
Notice where the apostrophe sits in each family:
- Replacing "not" (n't): can't (cannot), shouldn't (should not), haven't (have not), isn't (is not).
- Replacing "is" or "has" ('s): he's (he is / he has), it's (it is / it has), she's (she is / she has).
- Replacing "will" ('ll): I'll (I will), they'll (they will), we'll (we will).
- Replacing "have" ('ve): could've (could have), should've (should have), would've (would have).
Warning: "Could of," "should of," and "would of" do NOT exist in the English language! People say them by mistake because "could've" sounds like "could of." Always write "could have" or "could've."
The Irregular Contraction: "Won't"
The contraction "won't" is an ancient irregular contraction meaning "will not" (derived from the historic phrase "woll not"). It is the only common contraction where letters change before the apostrophe is added.
Mission 2: The Apostrophe in Possessive Nouns
The second mission of the apostrophe is indicating ownership or belonging.
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| POSSESSIVE APOSTROPHE RULES |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Noun Category | Rule | Example |
+-----------------------+-------------------+---------------------+
| Singular Noun | Add 's | the student's desk |
| Singular ending in -s | Add 's (or ') | James's backpack |
| Plural ending in -s | Add only ' | the students' desks |
| Irregular Plural | Add 's | the children's toys |
| (no -s ending) | | the geese's feathers|
+-----------------------+-------------------+---------------------+
The Crucial Showdown: Possessives vs. Contractions
The most frequent spelling mix-ups in fourth grade involve words that sound identical (homophones) but have different spellings based on whether an apostrophe is present.
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| THE CONTRACTION VS. POSSESSIVE SHOWDOWN |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| CONTRACTION (Contains apostrophe) | POSSESSIVE PRONOUN (NO apostrophe!)|
+--------------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| IT'S = it is ("It's raining.") | ITS = belongs to it |
| | ("The dog wagged its |
| | tail.") |
| | |
| THEY'RE = they are ("They're here.") | THEIR = belongs to them |
| | ("Their house is new.")|
| | |
| YOU'RE = you are ("You're kind.") | YOUR = belongs to you |
| | ("Where is your coat?")|
| | |
| WHO'S = who is ("Who's coming?") | WHOSE = belonging to whom |
| | ("Whose backpack is |
| | this?") |
+--------------------------------------+--------------------------------+
The Unbreakable Test: Say the Full Words
Whenever you are unsure whether to write "it's" or "its," "you're" or "your," expand the word into two words:
- "The bird flapped (it's / its) wings." -> Does "it is wings" make sense? No! Therefore, write "its."
- "(You're / Your) going to love this book." -> Does "You are going to love this book" make sense? Yes! Therefore, write "You're."
Practice Exercises
Practice Questions
- Form contractions for each word pair: "are not," "we have," "will not," "they will."
- Choose the correct word in parentheses: "The robin sheltered (its / it's) eggs from the cold rain."
- Choose the correct word in parentheses: "(You're / Your) science presentation was exceptionally clear."
- Correct the grammatical error in this sentence: "We could of arrived on time if the bus hadn't broken down."
- Insert apostrophes where needed: "The two brothers bicycles were parked outside the dentists office."
Answer Key and Explanations
- aren't, we've, won't, they'll.
- Correct word: "its" (possessive adjective; "it is eggs" makes no sense).
- Correct word: "Your" (possessive adjective modifying "presentation").
- Corrected sentence: "We could have (or could've) arrived on time if the bus hadn't broken down." ("Could of" is an error for "could have").
- "The two brothers' bicycles were parked outside the dentist's office." ("Brothers'" is plural possessive; "dentist's" is singular possessive).