Apostrophes and Hyphens
Apostrophes '
Contraction
Use an apostrophe to show where a letter or letters have been removed.
Example: I‘m going to the bank.
Possessive Adjective
Use an apostrophe to show possession.
To form singular possessives, add an apostrophe + s.
Example: The boy‘s bag fell from the table.
To form plural possessives, make the noun plural; then add an apostrophe.
Example: The boys‘ chants filled the whole school.
An exception is irregular plural possessives.
The children‘s mittens and the women‘s scarves cost a ton.
Plural Noun and Possessive Pronoun
Do not use an apostrophe to make a word plural.
Do not use an apostrophe with possessive pronouns (his, hers, its, theirs, ours, yours)
Hyphens -
Numbers
Use a hyphen with compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine and with fractions.
Example: thirty-seven; one-fourth
Compound Nouns
Use hyphens with some compound nouns
Example: lady-in-waiting; mother-in-law; self-restraint
Compound Adjectives
Use a hyphen when two or more words come before a noun they describe and act as a single idea.
Example:
The nineteenth-century author enjoyed his fame.
The five-year-old boy cried.
When a compound adjective follows the noun it describes, the adjective may or may not be hyphenated. If in doubt, consult a dictionary.
Example:
The boy was five years old.
Mowgli was self-confident.
