撇号

在众多标点符号中，撇号可能是最令人头痛的一种了！撇号在英语中有两种非常不同（也非常重要）的用法：所有格和缩写；甚至连母语人士都会搞混。

撇号用于缩写

英语中最常出现撇号的情况是缩写，也就是名词+动词或代名词+动词的缩写。切记，撇号常取代被省略的字母；在这种情况下，它会加在缩写字词的左上方。

类型	未使用缩写的写法	缩写
用「not」	is not, has not, had not, did not, would not, can not	isn't, hasn't, hadn't, didn't, wouldn't, can't
用「is」	she is, there is, he is, it is, Mary is, Jim is, Germany is, who is	she's, there's, he's, it's, Mary's, Jim's, Germany's, who's
用「am」	I am	I'm
用「will」	I will, you will, she will, we will, they will	I'll, you'll, she'll, we'll, they'll
用「would」	I would, you would, he would, we would, they would	I'd, you'd, he'd, we'd, they'd
用「have」	I have, you have, we have, they have	I've, you've, we've, they've
用「are」	you are, they are, we are	you're, they're, we're

即使是英语母语人士都会搞不清 its 和 it's丶you're 和 your丶who's 和 whose，还有 they're丶their 和 there。以下例句会示范这几个的差别：

举例

It's a nice day outside.（代名词 + Be 动词的缩写）
The cat is dirty. Its fur is matted.（所有格）
You're not supposed to be here.（代名词 + Be 动词的缩写）
This is your book.（所有格）
Who's at the door?（疑问词+ Be 动词的缩写）
Whose shoes are these?（who 的所有格）
They're not here yet.（代名词 + Be 动词的缩写）
Their car is red.（所有格）
His car is over there.（地方副词）

所有格中的撇号

在多数情况下，只要在名词后加 ’s 即形成所有格。

举例

a ship's captain
a doctor's patient
a car's engine
Ibrahim's coat
Mirianna's book

非以 s 结尾的复数名词也是用这个规则：

举例

the children's room
the men's work
the women's club

一般以 s 结尾的名词，无论它是单数还是复数，只要在 s 后加一个撇号即形成所有格。

举例

the bus' wheel
the babies' crying
the ladies' tennis club
the teachers' journal

以 s 结尾的专有名词（如人名丶城市名或国名）构成所有格的方式有两种，一种是在字尾加撇号＋s，或只加撇号。现今两种写法都正确（Jones 的所有格可以写成 Jones's 或 Jones'），但近年来许多大型机构在公布其名称时，都倾向去掉撇号，直接在字尾加 s（例如 Barclays Bank丶Missing Persons Bureau）。