Trap 1: Plurals always need an apostrophe
They do not. Dogs, students, ideas, decades — all plurals, none need an apostrophe. The apostrophe for possession is added after the plural form: the dogs' leads (multiple dogs, their leads). The apostrophe goes after the last letter of the possessor: one dog → dog's; multiple dogs → dogs'.
Trap 2: "it's" always shows possession because it has an apostrophe
Exactly backwards. it's = it is / it has (contraction only). its = belonging to it (possession, no apostrophe). The possessive pronouns — his, her, our, their, its — never take an apostrophe. Only contractions do.
Trap 3: Years and decades need an apostrophe
The 1990s is a plural — no apostrophe. The 1990's is wrong. Exception: if you are talking about something belonging to a decade — "the 1990s' most iconic fashion" — the apostrophe goes after the s.
This common misconceptions covers ⚠️ Three Apostrophe Traps within Apostrophe Usage for GCSE English Language. Revise Apostrophe Usage in AO6 Technical Accuracy for GCSE English Language with 10 exam-style questions and 5 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 5 of 5 in this topic. Use this common misconceptions to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Apostrophe Usage
Which sentence uses an apostrophe correctly?
Which sentence uses 'its' or 'it's' correctly?