7.1 Apostrophes: Possessives, Contractions & Plurals

Blueprint topic 20208 asks you to identify the correct usage of an apostrophe in a sentence. Apostrophes do two jobs: they show possession, and they mark letters left out of a contraction or clipped word.

Possessives

AP style drops the extra s after singular proper names ending in s (Jones' car). Transcript style sheets usually follow Merriam-Webster and Chicago. Whatever you choose, use one style throughout a transcript.

Joint vs. separate possession

• Joint (one thing owned together): apostrophe on the last name only: Smith and Brown's partnership.
• Separate (each owns their own): apostrophe on each: Smith's and Brown's cars.

Parties, exhibits and headings

The number of plaintiffs or defendants decides the apostrophe:

• one plaintiff: Plaintiff's Exhibit 1; PLAINTIFF'S OPENING STATEMENT;
• two or more plaintiffs: Plaintiffs' Exhibit 1; AAERT's sample index, for a case with two named plaintiffs, reads PLAINTIFFS' OPENING STATEMENT and DEFENDANTS' OPENING STATEMENT.

Check the caption before typing exhibit and heading possessives.

Descriptive names without apostrophes

Some official names drop the apostrophe: Veterans Affairs, Teachers College. Use the organization's official form.

Time and money possessives

a week's notice, two weeks' notice, a day's pay, five dollars' worth.

Possessive pronouns never take apostrophes

his, hers, its, ours, yours, theirs, whose.

• its = possessive: The company changed its name.
• it's = it is or it has: It's a Glock.
• whose = possessive; who's = who is.
• their = possessive; they're = they are; there = place.

Contractions and clipped words

Transcribe contractions exactly as spoken. Never expand didn't to did not, or the reverse. The Guide to Judiciary Policy lists contractions among the things that "must be transcribed as spoken."

• I'm, didn't, wasn't, should've, y'all, ma'am
• Clipped words with the apostrophe where letters are missing: AAERT's Scalini key writes I stay 'til four or five-ish. Other examples: 'cause, 'em, goin' (styles vary on the last; see Chapter 11 on chopped-down speech).
• Omitted digits in years: the '90s. The apostrophe points toward the missing digits, not an opening single quote.

Note the difference between 'til (clipped until) and till, which is a full word of its own meaning until. Both are acceptable spellings for the spoken word, but 'til shows the clipped pronunciation the Scalini key recorded.

Plurals: no apostrophe

Do not use an apostrophe to make a plural:

Exceptions use an apostrophe to prevent misreading: lowercase letters and some capital letters, such as dot your i's, she got all A's.

Apostrophes that are not possessives or contractions

• Names such as O'Brien and D'Angelo keep the apostrophe that is part of the name. Copy them from the case information or appearances.
• Ma'am and o'clock are fixed forms.
• Single quotation marks around a quote inside a quote look like apostrophes but are quotation marks (Chapter 6).

Possessives you will hear in court

Courtroom speech produces a few possessive patterns again and again:

When a speaker says a party name as a label ("Government Exhibit 3") rather than a possessive ("the Government's Exhibit 3"), type what was said.

Practice

Punctuate each spoken sentence:

1. the witnesses statements were taken by the officers partner (two witnesses, one officer) → The witnesses' statements were taken by the officer's partner.
2. its been two weeks notice and the company still hasnt changed its policy → It's been two weeks' notice, and the company still hasn't changed its policy.
3. the Joneses attorney filed three DUI motions in the 90s → The Joneses' attorney filed three DUI motions in the '90s.
4. whos car was parked in Mr. Harris driveway → Whose car was parked in Mr. Harris's driveway?

Quick check

1. Is the word showing ownership? Use a possessive.
2. Is it a pronoun? No apostrophe (its, theirs).
3. Is it just a plural? No apostrophe.
4. Are letters missing? Put the apostrophe where they were.