Writers may omit commas and other punctuation marks to impart a particular rhythm to a sentence, paragraph, or passage. As long as they know what they’re doing, such omissions may be justified under the nebulous cloak of style. Apostrophes are universally misused, and they should be treated with respect because they alter the meaning of words. A missing apostrophe can render a sentence confusing. Worse still, a misplaced apostrophe sticks out like a sore thumb.
Most punctuation signs have unique uses. Commas, periods, semicolons, colons, and em-dashes add pauses of varying lengths to prose. Other signs, such as question and exclamation marks, signal changes in intonation. Apostrophes, on the other hand, have three dissimilar applications:
The Apostrophe