Final answer:
Apostrophes are used to indicate possessive forms of nouns and in contractions. For singular nouns add ['s] and for plural nouns ending in -s, place the apostrophe after the s. Hyphens are used with modifiers, while dashes emphasize phrases and parentheses de-emphasize information.
Step-by-step explanation:
We use apostrophes to indicate the possessive forms of nouns. To create possessive forms, follow these general rules:
- Add ['s] to the singular form of the word, even if it ends in -s (e.g., the owner's insurance, the waitress's coat).
When dealing with plural nouns that already end in -s, place the apostrophe after the final -s (e.g., American households' incomes).
For contractions, apostrophes show where letters have been omitted. For example, "don't" is a contraction for "do not," with the apostrophe indicating the omission of the "o" in "not."
In the provided review questions, insert missing apostrophes to correct possessive forms and contractions:
- It should be Farmer John's land, indicating possession.
- One's labor is proportional to one's wealth, with both showing possession.
- George shouldn't say he'll be in the library, correcting the contractions.
- I'll be back, inserting the apostrophe in the contraction for "I will."
- Who'll referee those kids' soccer game, correcting contractions and possessive form.
Remember that hyphens are used with modifiers and to connect words in compound terms, while dashes are used for emphasis and to set off phrases. Parentheses are used to de-emphasize or add additional information that is less important to the main sentence.