Year 4 · SPaG · Apostrophes
Year 4 when not to use an apostrophe worksheet and PowerPoint
To know when an apostrophe is wrong: in simple plurals and in words such as its, ours, yours and theirs.
No apostrophe
Do not use an apostrophe to make a plural, or in the possessive words ours, yours, hers, theirs and its. It’s always means it is or it has.
| plural | two apples (not apple’s) |
|---|---|
| its / it’s | The dog wagged its tail. It’s a lovely day. |
| possessive words | That book is theirs. These coats are ours. |
Examples
- The cat licked its paw.
- It’s time for lunch.
Key words
- apostrophe
- a mark ’ that shows missing letters or belonging
- contraction
- two words joined into one with letters missing
- possession
- when something belongs to someone
- plural
- more than one
What is on the worksheet
Every sheet for this lesson has a short teaching box and 12 questions that get gradually harder: 8 fluency questions, then 4 reasoning questions that ask pupils to explain or choose. A writing challenge follows. The questions use the same styles as the key stage 2 grammar and punctuation test (circle, underline, tick, fill the gap, add punctuation, rewrite, explain). They are written for this website, not copied from past papers.
All the answers are on the last page of the same editable Word file. New questions are made every time, so you can print a different sheet for every group or for homework. The same sheet code always gives the same sheet.
Writing challenge: Write six sentences that use its, it’s, theirs and ours correctly.
Pupil target: I can spot an apostrophe that should not be there.
The PowerPoint
A 20-slide lesson deck for the same lesson: a starter that revisits earlier learning, key words, an I do and a You do question on each slide with a countdown timer, answers that appear one click at a time, and a challenge. Download the when not to use an apostrophe PowerPoint.
Where this lesson fits
This is lesson 11 of 60 in the Year 4 SPaG scheme, in the block “Apostrophes”.
Other lessons in this block
- Recognising apostrophes
- Apostrophes for plural possession
- Possession or contraction
- Apostrophes together
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