Apostrophes: for contraction, singular possession and plural possession 2
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can accurately punctuate sentences including apostrophes for contraction, singular possession or plural possession.
Key learning points
- An apostrophe is an important piece of punctuation with more than one purpose.
- An apostrophe can contract two words together.
- An apostrophe can show if a noun belongs to another singular noun or to another plural noun.
- Contractions are useful in writing to indicate a character's informal speech or a less formal register.
- Apostrophes for possession are useful to clarify belonging to the reader.
Keywords
Apostrophe for contraction - a punctuation mark used to contract two words together
Apostrophe for possession - a punctuation mark used to show if a noun belongs to another singular or plural noun
Singular - only one
Plural - more than one
Common misconception
Pupils may struggle to place the apostrophe correctly after the 's' for plural possession.
Remind pupils that the apostrophe is placed after the 's' when showing possession for plural nouns that already end in 's'.
Teacher tip
When pupils are generating their own ideas for sentences using possession, allow plenty of time for partner talk and model some of your own examples to show that the possession can be placed in different locations in the sentence.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these can end a sentence?
Q2.Which of the following could end this sentence? 'Stop talking...'
Q3.Which of the following sentences are correctly punctuated?
Q4.What is the name for the punctuation used to show direct speech?
Q5.Which sentence is correctly punctuated?
Q6.Which sentence has the comma in the correct position?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.An apostrophe can be used to show...
Q2.Which sentence below uses both apostrophes for contraction correctly?
Q3.Which words in this sentence could be contracted using an apostrophe? 'We should have waited, but he had told us to go.'
Q4.Match each 'possession' idea to the sentence that uses it. Each sentence uses an apostrophe for singular possession.
I ignored Jun's suggestion.
We all respected Lucas' views.
At the allotment, we picked Dad's vegetables.
Sam's beliefs were quite unusual.
Q5.Which sentence correctly uses the apostrophe for plural possession for the idea 'the opinions belonging to the adults'?
Q6.Tick the sentences that use an apostrophe for plural possession correctly.
To help you plan your 6 English lesson on: Apostrophes: for contraction, singular possession and plural possession 2, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 6 English lesson on: Apostrophes: for contraction, singular possession and plural possession 2, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 English lessons from the Punctuation unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.