Apostrophes for Possession and Contraction Worksheets — KS2
Apostrophes are one of the most commonly misused punctuation marks, and one of the most heavily tested in KS2 SATs. Our apostrophes worksheets teach both uses clearly: contraction (where a letter or letters have been omitted) and possession (showing ownership). By working through our structured activities, children learn not only when to use an apostrophe but exactly where to place it — including the tricky cases with plural nouns.
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Key Skills Covered
Apostrophes for Contraction
Contractions replace missing letters with an apostrophe: do not → don't, it is → it's, they are → they're. The most important rule is that the apostrophe goes where the missing letter(s) would be, not between the two words. Children often place apostrophes randomly — our worksheets explicitly address this with fill-in-the-gap exercises showing the full form alongside the contraction.
Apostrophes for Possession
For singular nouns, add 's (the cat's tail). For plural nouns already ending in s, add the apostrophe after the s (the dogs' leads). For irregular plurals (children, men, women), add 's (the children's books). Our worksheets cover all three cases with examples, common misconceptions flagged, and increasingly complex sentences for children to punctuate correctly.
Common Apostrophe Errors to Avoid
The most common errors children make include: using it's (contraction) when they mean its (possessive pronoun), using apostrophes to form plurals (apple's instead of apples), and confusing your/you're and their/they're/there. Our worksheets include dedicated activities on these high-frequency errors, with answer keys highlighting why each answer is correct.
Sample Questions
Write the contraction of 'would not'.
Show answer
wouldn't
Add the apostrophe: the boys coat
Show answer
the boy's coat
There are three dogs. Add the apostrophe: the ___ leads.
Show answer
the dogs' leads
Is this correct: 'The team won it's match'? Explain.
Show answer
No — it's means 'it is'. The correct word here is 'its' (possessive).
Write the full form of: she'd
Show answer
she had / she would
More Grammar Resources for Key Stage 2
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