KS2 Apostrophes Worksheet | Free Printable
- Age
- 7–9, 10–12
- School year
- Year 3, Year 4, Year 5
- Time
- 15–20 minutes
- Difficulty
- ⭐⭐
- Skills
- punctuation · grammar · apostrophes
- Learning objective
- By the end, your child can use apostrophes for contractions and possession, and tell its from it's.
Apostrophes do two jobs: they show where letters are missing (contractions, like “don't”), and they show belonging (possession, like “the dog's bone”).
This mission practises both — and clears up the classic its / it's mix-up.
How to use this
- The answer guide is at the bottom.
- For its vs it's, the trick is: if you can say “it is”, use it's.
do not → don't
💡 Contraction — the apostrophe replaces the missing letters.
the bone belonging to the dog → the dog's bone
💡 Possession — add apostrophe + s.
Mission 1🤏 Squash It (Contractions)
Squash each pair of words into a contraction using an apostrophe.
- cannot →
- I will →
- they are →
- she is →
Mission 2🏷️ Whose Is It? (Possession)
Rewrite each phrase using an apostrophe to show belonging.
- the coat belonging to Sam
- the toys belonging to the baby
- the roof of the house
Mission 3🎯 its or it's? (The Tricky One)
Choose the right one. Remember: it's = it is; its = belonging to it.
- The cat licked ___ paws.
- ___ going to rain.
- The team lost ___ first match.
💡 Try saying “it is” — if it fits, use it's.
Mission 4✍️ Now Write!
Write two sentences: one that uses a contraction, and one that shows possession with an apostrophe.
Success checklist
- ✅ I can use an apostrophe for a contraction.
- ✅ I can use an apostrophe to show possession.
- ✅ I know when to use its and it's.
Answer guide (for grown-ups)
- Mission 1: can't · I'll · they're · she's.
- Mission 2: Sam's coat · the baby's toys · the house's roof.
- Mission 3: its paws · It's going to rain · its first match.Only the middle one means “it is”, so only it takes the apostrophe.
- Mission 4: Open — check one contraction and one possessive apostrophe are used correctly.
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