Apostrophes are used for:
* Possession: "The dog's bone"
* Contractions: "I'm" instead of "I am"
* Plurals of letters or numbers: "A's", "1990's"
Quotation marks are used for:
* Direct speech: "Hello," she said.
* Titles of short works: "The Great Gatsby"
* Words used in a special sense: He called it "progress", but I called it chaos.
Key Differences:
* Purpose: Apostrophes indicate possession or contractions, while quotation marks enclose direct speech or titles.
* Shape: Apostrophes are single, curved marks ('), while quotation marks are pairs of double (") or single (') marks.
Confusion:
Sometimes, confusion arises because both apostrophes and single quotation marks look similar. However, their functions are entirely different.
It's crucial to use the correct punctuation for clarity and accuracy in writing.