The use of the apostrophe is extremely common in English. In some cases, it is used simply for convenience and reduction, in others, its formulation can change the whole meaning of the statement. An apostrophe in the English language has different functions, and this article will help to understand some of them.
Apostrophe and auxiliary verb to do
Simple times are widely used in everyday communication. This is Present Simple and Past Perfect. According to the English grammar, in the simple present tense, the auxiliary verb takes the form do / does, and in the simple past - did. When you need to make a negative sentence, not is used after the auxiliary verb.
But often in both written and oral speech there is a desire to reduce this combination does not, did not, etc. And in this situation the use of the apostrophe helps. N is added to the desired form of the auxiliary verb, an apostrophe is put, and t is written. It turns out instead of do not - don't, does not - doesn't, did not - didn't. These abbreviations are very convenient to pronounce and use in writing, especially when you need to quickly fix something, rather than carefully write down every word.
Apostrophe and auxiliary verb to be
The auxiliary verb to be in the present simple and long tense has the forms am, is, are, in the past simple and long was, were. Negative sentences are also constructed by adding not. N is added to the auxiliary verbs are, is, was, were, an apostrophe is put, and t is written: aren't, isn't, wasn't, weren't.
You can also combine the pronoun and the auxiliary verb in the present tense. A pronoun is written, an apostrophe is put, and an auxiliary verb is added in the necessary form without the first letter: I am - I'm, you are - you're, he is - he's. These abbreviations are still more commonly used in writing. In oral use less often, but still apply.
Apostrophe and modal verbs
The apostrophe in English is also used to shorten the writing of modal verbs with negation not. The abbreviation is formed in the same way as with the auxiliary verb to do. A modal verb is written, n is added, an apostrophe is put and t: should not - shouldn't, need not - needn't, etc. Abbreviations with modal verbs are less common in oral speech than in written. In general, all abbreviations are more relevant for writing.
Possessive
When it is necessary to say that a thing belongs to someone, an apostrophe is also used. In English, it indicates affiliation and is placed at the end of a noun in the possessive case. A noun is written, then an apostrophe and s: boy - boy's, girl - girl's.
If the noun is used in the plural and already ends in s, then only an apostrophe is put, without adding another s at the end: boys - boys ', girls - girls'.
These are the main uses of the apostrophe in English. Most often, its presence indicates that some part of the word is omitted. Such abbreviations are used in writing, but are sometimes found in oral. Therefore, it is important to learn the rules for using the apostrophe during reduction, apply them and be able to see. And the most important thing is to hear.
English is somewhat faster than Russian, so difficulties may arise in the early stages. But regular performance of listening exercises will help you learn to hear various abbreviations in oral speech.
The apostrophe also says that the noun was used in the possessive case. What difficulties can arise here? Most often, they also appear with the ability to hear the possessive case in oral speech. Beginners can take it for the plural. But regular listening to audio with examples will help develop the necessary skill to catch the differences when it comes to belonging to someone.
Moreover, it is also worth noting that the apostrophe is placed above the noun, which indicates the owner of an object.