Free ATI TEAS 7 English & Language Usage guide
October 2026 - The Rules of the Apostrophe Study Guide for nursing students in
Apostrophes mark possession or contraction, never a plural. Singular possession adds apostrophe-s; plural nouns already ending in s take the apostrophe alone. And its is possessive while it's means "it is" — a distinction that appears on almost every form of the exam.
Possession
Work out the noun first, then decide where the apostrophe goes.
| Noun | Possessive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | Add 's | the nurse's chart — one nurse |
| Plural ending in s | Add ' alone | the nurses' station — several nurses |
| Plural not ending in s | Add 's | the children's ward |
| Singular ending in s | Add 's (or ' alone) | James's shift |
The method that never fails
Write out the owner first, before adding anything. If the chart belongs to one nurse, the owner is nurse, so add 's: the nurse's chart. If the station belongs to several, the owner is nurses, which already ends in s, so add the apostrophe alone: the nurses' station.
Doing it in that order prevents the usual mistake, which is deciding where the apostrophe looks right and reverse-engineering the meaning from it.
Contractions
The apostrophe stands exactly where letters have been removed.
do not→don't;cannot→can't;they are→they're.it isorit has→it's.who is→who's;you are→you're.- Contractions are informal. Academic writing generally spells them out — which is itself sometimes the question.
Apostrophes never make plurals. The 1990s, three doctors, two DVDs — all correct without one. If you can replace the word with a number followed by "of them", you want a plain plural.
The possessive pronouns that take no apostrophe
These are already possessive, so an apostrophe would be doing a job that is already done.
| Possessive | Contraction | Test |
|---|---|---|
its |
it's = it is | Substitute "it is". If it reads, use it's |
your |
you're = you are | Substitute "you are" |
their |
they're = they are | Substitute "they are" |
whose |
who's = who is | Substitute "who is" |
theirs, ours, hers, yours |
— | Never take an apostrophe at all |
Applying the substitution test
Worked example
Choose: The ward has lost (its / it's) only working thermometer.
- Substitute the full form: "The ward has lost it is only working thermometer."
- That does not read, so the contraction is wrong here.
- The thermometer belongs to the ward, so possession is what is meant.
- The possessive form of "it" takes no apostrophe.
its. The substitution test settles this in two seconds and is worth applying every single time, because the intuitive choice is wrong as often as it is right.
Terms to know
- Apostrophe
- The mark used for possession and contraction.
- Possessive
- A form showing ownership.
- Contraction
- Two words shortened into one, with an apostrophe marking the missing letters.
- Plural
- More than one. Never formed with an apostrophe.
- Possessive pronoun
- its, your, their, whose, hers, ours, theirs — already possessive, so no apostrophe.
What the TEAS asks most
The same core ideas appear in different wording. If you can answer these without stopping to think, you have what this section requires.
Its or it's?
Substitute "it is". If the sentence reads, use the apostrophe; if not, use its.
Which sentence uses the apostrophe correctly?
Identify the owner first, then decide whether the apostrophe goes before or after the s.
Where does the apostrophe belong in a plural possessive?
After the s the plural already has: the patients' rooms.
Key points
- Apostrophes show possession or contraction, never plurality.
- Singular possession takes
's; a plural already ending in s takes the apostrophe alone. - Irregular plurals such as children take
's. itsis possessive;it'smeans "it is" or "it has".- Possessive pronouns — yours, ours, theirs, hers — never take an apostrophe.
Review quiz
4 questions on this topic, each with the reasoning worked through. Pick an answer to see how it went, or open the explanation straight away.
-
Question 1 of 4
Which sentence is correct?
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. The ward has lost its only working thermometer.
Substituting "it is" gives nonsense, so possession is meant — and the possessive form of "it" carries no apostrophe.
its'is not a word in any context, and the last choice adds a possessive to the thing owned. -
Question 2 of 4
Several nurses share a break room. How should this be written?
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. the nurses' break room
The owner is "nurses", a plural already ending in s, so the apostrophe goes after it. The first choice describes one nurse, the second shows no possession at all, and the fourth adds an s a plural does not need.
-
Question 3 of 4
Which sentence uses apostrophes correctly?
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. The doctors are meeting to review the 1990s guidelines.
Both "doctors" and "1990s" are simple plurals, and plurals never take an apostrophe. Every other choice inserts one where only "more than one" is meant.
-
Question 4 of 4
Choose the correct form:
(Whose / Who's) chart is this, and (whose / who's) covering the ward tonight?Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Whose … who's
The first asks who owns the chart, which is possessive and takes
whose; the second means "who is covering", which is the contraction. Substituting "who is" into each slot separates them reliably.
Put this TEAS topic into practice
Build a set on the rules of apostrophe and use the rationale on every question to reinforce what you just reviewed.
Keep reading
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