Common Apostrophe Errors

Mixing up it’s and its
 

Wrong: Every vacation has it’s own ups and downs

Right: Every vacation has its own ups and downs
 

Pluralizing words with apostrophes
 

Wrong: “Hem’s Mended and Alteration’s Made.”

Right: “Hems Mended and Alterations Made.”
 

Using improper contractions
 

Wrong: Your going to have to revise your essay.

Right: You're going to have to revise your essay.

Wrong: She get’s tutoring help to improve her papers.

Right: She gets tutoring help to improve her papers.
 

Pluralizing names with apostrophes
 

Wrong: We visited the Jones’s.

Right:  We visited the Joneses.

(You would, however, say that you dropped by the Jones’s house, since in this case, the house is owned by the Joneses, so the word should be made possessive in front of “house.”)
 

Not adding an s after a possessive name if you pronounce the s

Currently nonstandard: I went to James’ house after I left Charles’ apartment.

Currently standard: I went to James’s house after I left Charles’s apartment