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What Is a Possessive Noun? How to Use Them (with Examples)

By Krystal N. Craiker

You probably know that a noun is a person, place, or thing. But when a noun has possession of another noun, things can get a little tricky. We typically use apostrophes to show possession. However, it’s easy to get confused about where to put those apostrophes.

Today, we’re doing a deep dive into possessive nouns. We’ll cover exactly what they are and how to write them correctly.

What Are Possessive Nouns?

What are some examples of possessive nouns in a sentence, what is a possessive pronoun, what are some examples of possessive pronouns in a sentence, can you use possessive nouns.

A possessive noun is a noun that possesses (owns or has power over) something else . Before you start worrying about nouns possessing you like an angry ghost or jealous boyfriend, let me clarify what we mean by possessive.

In this case, possessive nouns show ownership or belonging.

In other words, if a noun has something that belongs to it, we need to turn that noun into its possessive form.

Take a look at the following examples. The bolded nouns are the possessive one.

• the dog’s bone
• the baby’s pacifier
• the students’ exams
• The Smiths’ vacation home

The bone belongs to the dog, the pacifier belongs to the baby, and so on. The noun to which the object belongs is the one we write in the possessive form.

How Do I Write a Possessive Noun in the Singular Form?

When it comes to a singular noun (i.e. only one person, place, or thing), we usually add an apostrophe plus the letter /s/ . The apostrophe follows the singular form of the noun, and the /s/ follows the apostrophe.

Most singular nouns do not end in an /s/ so it feels natural to add the apostrophe plus /s/ at the end of the word. Here are some examples:

• the hen’s egg
• a rat’s tail
• my mom’s recipe

But even if a singular noun ends in an /s/ , we still add an apostrophe plus another /s/ . It might look or sound strange to have the extra /s/ , but this is often the grammatically correct way to write singular possessive nouns.

What does this look like? Check out these examples of singular possessive nouns.

• the bus’s radiator
• the iris’s petals
• an octopus’s tentacle

The same rule applies to singular possessive proper nouns. A proper noun is a noun that has to be capitalized, like a person’s name or a specific place. It doesn’t matter if the proper noun ends in an /s/ or not. If you are only talking about one proper noun, add an apostrophe followed by an /s/ .

These examples show you how to write singular proper nouns in the possessive form.

• Michelle’s book
• Mr. James’s class
• Hawaii’s capital
• Dallas’s mayor

The rule never changes for singular possessive nouns, but things can get trickier with plural nouns.

How Do I Write a Possessive Noun in the Plural Form?

Plural possessive nouns follow two different rules. It depends on how the word is written in the possessive form.

When a noun is made plural by adding an /s/ , like most nouns in English, we write the possessive form by adding the /s/ and then an apostrophe. Nothing comes after the apostrophe in plural possessive nouns.

It looks like this:

• my kids’ toys
• the neighbors’ yard
• the homes’ occupants

But some nouns do not end in an /s/ when they are plural. When this is the case, follow the same format as singular possessive nouns. You will add an apostrophe plus an /s/ . Here are a few examples.

• the children’s teacher
• the geese’s nest
• people’s rights

With proper nouns, we make them plural by adding an /s/ or, in the case of proper nouns that already end in /s/ , we add an /es/ . To make them possessive, add an apostrophe after the last /s/ .

• the Joneses ’ new dog
• the Dunns ’ anniversary
• the Obamas’ organization

Only add an apostrophe to proper nouns if you are using the plural possessive noun to indicate that the noun possesses something.

If you are just making a proper noun plural, no apostrophe is needed. Don’t sign your Christmas cards using an apostrophe in your family’s last name, or you’ll leave people wondering, “The Blacks’ what?”

So, when you’re writing a plural possessive noun, ask yourself if the plural form already ends in an /s/ . If so, just add the apostrophe at the end of the plural form. If not, treat it like a singular possessive noun and add an apostrophe plus /s/ .

It’s easy to slip up and put the apostrophe in the wrong place. ProWritingAid’s grammar report will make sure that you are writing your possessive nouns correctly.

We’ve looked at a few examples of possessive nouns, but you might be wondering how these are used in sentences. Let’s take a look at some sentences that use possessive nouns.

• I went over to my aunt’s house for dinner last night.
• We played with my cousins’ new Playstation.
• He helped pass the two junior senators’ bill.
• The monkey’s baby was so tiny!
• Have you seen Uncle Jerry’s new motorcycle?
• The Martinezes’ anniversary is tomorrow.

Once you’ve mastered the three rules for writing possessive nouns, you’ll have no trouble remembering where to put the apostrophe. But what about pronouns?

Pronouns are words that replace more specific nouns. I , he , she , and it are all pronouns.

Possesive pronouns indicate ownership. They are words like mine , his , hers and its . Here's an example:

That was the dog's ball. It was his to play with.

See how "his" replaces "the dog's" in the second sentence? Possessive pronouns are words that show possession while replacing other nouns or proper nouns.

Possessive pronouns follow their own set of rules, and they don’t use any apostrophes. There are thirteen possessive pronouns.

What Are the 13 Possessive Pronouns?

There are two types of possessive pronouns.

• Independent possessive pronouns do not have a noun immediately following them. They are sometimes called strong possessive pronouns.
• Dependent possessive pronouns go before the noun and help to identify it in further detail. They are sometimes called weak possessive pronouns or possessive adjectives.

The independent singular possessive pronouns are mine , yours , his , hers , and its . The independent plural possessive pronouns are ours , yours , and theirs . Notice that yours is both singular and plural. Its is very rarely used as an independent possessive pronoun in modern English.

Dependent possessive pronouns function as determiners before another noun.

The dependent singular possessive pronouns are my , your , his , her , and its . The dependent plural possessive pronouns are our , your , and their . You’ll notice that your is used for both singular and plural forms, and that his is both independent and dependent.

When it comes to its vs. it’s , the possessive pronoun never uses an apostrophe. If the word is showing possession, use its . If the word is a contraction of “it is,” use it’s .

Now that we know the different types of possessive pronouns, let’s look at some examples.

Take a look at the sentences below. Can you identify which sentences use independent and dependent possessive pronouns? What about singular and plural possessive pronouns?

• The ball is mine .
• Give me back my sweater!
• I can’t believe that is your name on the marquee!
• I told her the money is yours , not hers .
• His grandmother makes the best lasagne.
• The red coat? It was his .
• It’s time for her appointment.
• Oops. I cracked its shell.
• We reminded him that the seats were ours .
• I think the car is theirs .
• Their dog is a basset hound.

Possessive nouns and pronouns can be tricky until you learn the rules. Fortunately, with a bit of practice, you can get them right, every time. And if you don’t remember all the rules, that’s fine too. ProWritingAid’s Realtime Report is always there to help if you get it wrong.

Try the Realtime Report with a free ProWritingAid account.

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Krystal N. Craiker

Krystal N. Craiker is the Writing Pirate, an indie romance author and blog manager at ProWritingAid. She sails the seven internet seas, breaking tropes and bending genres. She has a background in anthropology and education, which brings fresh perspectives to her romance novels. When she’s not daydreaming about her next book or article, you can find her cooking gourmet gluten-free cuisine, laughing at memes, and playing board games. Krystal lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, child, and basset hound.

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Possessive Nouns: Definition, Rules and Useful Examples

In this article, we will explore what possessive nouns are, how to use them, and provide examples to help you better understand their role in the English language. We will cover the basic rules for forming possessive nouns, including the use of apostrophes and the placement of the possessive form in a sentence. By the end of this article, you will have a solid understanding of how to use possessive nouns effectively in your writing. So, let’s get started!

What are Possessive Nouns?

Possessive nouns are a type of noun that indicate ownership or possession of something. They are formed by adding an apostrophe and the letter “s” to the end of the noun. For example, “dog’s” indicates that the dog owns something.

Possessive nouns can be used to show ownership of both concrete and abstract things. For example, “John’s idea” and “the sun’s rays” are both possessive nouns.

It’s important to note that possessive pronouns (such as “yours” and “theirs”) do not use apostrophes to indicate possession. Instead, they have their own possessive form. For example, “yours” is the possessive form of “you” and “theirs” is the possessive form of “they”.

When using possessive nouns, it’s important to remember that they can be singular or plural. For singular nouns, the apostrophe and “s” are added to the end of the word (e.g. “dog’s”). For plural nouns that end in “s”, only an apostrophe is added (e.g. “dogs'”). For plural nouns that do not end in “s”, the apostrophe and “s” are added (e.g. “children’s”).

Possessive nouns can also be used to show joint ownership. In this case, the apostrophe and “s” are added to the last noun in the list. For example, “John and Mary’s car” indicates that John and Mary jointly own the car.

Overall, possessive nouns are a useful tool for indicating ownership and possession in writing. By following the rules for forming possessive nouns, you can ensure that your writing is clear and easy to understand.

Types of Possessive Nouns

Possessive nouns are used to show ownership or possession of a person, place, or thing. There are four types of possessive nouns: singular possessive nouns, plural possessive nouns, possessive pronouns, and irregular possessive nouns. In this section, we will discuss the first two types of possessive nouns: singular and plural.

Singular Possessive Nouns

Singular possessive nouns are used to show that one person, place, or thing owns or possesses something. To form a singular possessive noun, add an apostrophe and an “s” to the end of the noun. For example, “the dog’s bone” shows that the bone belongs to one dog.

Here are some examples of singular possessive nouns:

• The teacher’s desk
• John’s car
• The book’s cover

Plural Possessive Nouns

Plural possessive nouns are used to show that more than one person, place, or thing owns or possesses something. To form a plural possessive noun, add an apostrophe after the “s” at the end of the noun. For example, “the dogs’ bones” shows that the bones belong to multiple dogs.

Here are some examples of plural possessive nouns:

• The students’ desks
• The cars’ tires
• The books’ pages

It’s important to note that not all plural nouns are formed by adding an “s” at the end. Some plural nouns are irregular and have different forms. For example, “children” is the plural form of “child,” and to form a possessive noun, you would add an apostrophe and an “s” to the end: “the children’s toys.”

Understanding the different types of possessive nouns is important for clear and effective communication. By using possessive nouns correctly, you can convey ownership and possession accurately and avoid confusion.

Usage of Possessive Nouns

Possessive nouns are used to show ownership or possession of a person, place, thing, or idea. They are formed by adding an apostrophe and the letter “s” (‘s) to the noun. Here are some examples:

• The cat’s toy
• The company’s logo

Possessive nouns are used to show that someone or something owns or possesses another thing. For example, “The book’s cover” indicates that the cover belongs to the book.

Relationship

Possessive nouns can also be used to show a relationship between two things. For example, “The teacher’s pet” indicates that the pet belongs to the teacher and that they have a close relationship.

Possessive nouns can also be used to show the origin of something. For example, “The city’s history” indicates that the history is related to the city.

Measurements and Time

Possessive nouns can also be used to show measurements or time. For example, “An hour’s time” indicates that the time is one hour long, and “A dollar’s worth” indicates that something is worth one dollar.

In conclusion, possessive nouns are used to show ownership, relationship, origin, measurements, and time. By using them correctly, you can make your writing clearer and more concise.

Rules for Using Possessive Nouns

Possessive nouns are used to show ownership or a direct connection between two nouns. They are formed by adding an apostrophe and the letter “s” at the end of the noun. Here are some general rules for using possessive nouns:

General Rules

• For singular nouns, add ‘s at the end of the noun. Example: “The dog’s bone.”
• For plural nouns that do not end in s, add ‘s at the end of the noun. Example: “The children’s toys.”
• For plural nouns that end in s, add only an apostrophe at the end of the noun. Example: “The girls’ dresses.”
• For compound nouns, add ‘s only to the last word. Example: “My mother-in-law’s car.”

Irregular Plurals

• For irregular plurals that do not end in s, add ‘s at the end of the noun. Example: “The men’s shoes.”
• For irregular plurals that end in s, add only an apostrophe at the end of the noun. Example: “The children’s clothes.”

Compound Nouns

• For compound nouns that are written as separate words, add ‘s to the last word. Example: “My sister-in-law’s house.”
• For compound nouns that are hyphenated, add ‘s to the last word. Example: “The editor-in-chief’s decision.”
• For compound nouns that are written as one word, add ‘s to the end of the word. Example: “The bookshelf’s height.”

Nouns Ending in S

• For nouns that end in s, add only an apostrophe at the end of the noun. Example: “The boss’ office.”
• For nouns that end in ss, add only an apostrophe at the end of the noun. Example: “The princess’ dress.”

Remember to use possessive nouns to show ownership or a direct connection between two nouns. Use the rules above to help you form possessive nouns correctly.

Common Mistakes with Possessive Nouns

Using possessive nouns can be tricky, and it’s easy to make mistakes. Here are some common mistakes you should avoid:

1. Confusing plural and singular possessive nouns

One of the most common mistakes is confusing plural and singular possessive nouns. For example, “the childrens’ toys” is incorrect because “childrens” is not a word. The correct way to write it is “the children’s toys.”

Another mistake is using the singular possessive form for plural nouns. For example, “the dogs’s leashes” is incorrect because “dogs” is a plural noun. The correct way to write it is “the dogs’ leashes.”

2. Using apostrophes incorrectly

Another common mistake is using apostrophes incorrectly. Remember, apostrophes are used to show possession, not to make a word plural. For example, “banana’s” is incorrect because it’s not possessive. The correct way to write it is “bananas.”

Another mistake is using apostrophes with possessive pronouns. For example, “hers’ and theirs'” are incorrect because possessive pronouns already show possession. The correct way to write it is “hers and theirs.”

3. Forgetting the apostrophe

Finally, some people forget to use an apostrophe when they should. For example, “the boys room” is incorrect because it’s possessive. The correct way to write it is “the boy’s room.”

Remember, using possessive nouns correctly is important for clear communication. Take the time to double-check your writing to avoid these common mistakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Examples of plural possessive nouns

Plural possessive nouns are used to show that more than one noun owns or possesses something. For example, “the dogs’ toys” indicates that multiple dogs own the toys. Other examples of plural possessive nouns include “the teachers’ lounge,” “the children’s books,” and “the parents’ meeting.”

Different types of possessive nouns

There are different types of possessive nouns, including singular possessive nouns, plural possessive nouns, and compound possessive nouns. Singular possessive nouns indicate that one person or thing owns or possesses something, such as “the boy’s hat.” Plural possessive nouns indicate that more than one person or thing owns or possesses something, such as “the girls’ backpacks.” Compound possessive nouns are formed by combining two or more nouns that own or possess something, such as “the mother-in-law ‘s car.”

List of common possessive nouns

Some common possessive nouns include “the dog’s bone,” “the cat’s whiskers,” “the teacher’s desk,” “the student’s notebook,” and “the company’s logo.” Possessive nouns can be used to show ownership or possession of physical objects, as well as abstract concepts like ideas or emotions.

what about possessive nouns without apostrophe for example: “ The new cat belonging to Sharon” where would the possessive noun be?

Sharon’s new cat.

this is not cool. ;( search it up bruh.

ehurhfuewjf

don’t say random words.

this es a bad aplication

this is boring,but cool

Which sentence is correct: The slippers size was very small.

The slippers’ size was very small.

The slipper’s size was very small.

Thank you alot.This site has really helped me because I have grammar exam tomorrow. Thank you!

i’m confused about possessive nouns

Possessive Case

What is the possessive case.

(1) Possessive Nouns

• This is the dog's dinner.

(2) Possessive Pronouns

• This bone is hers .

(3) Possessive Determiners

• This is her bone.

Table of Contents

Examples of the Possessive Case

Complications with the possessive case, using apostrophes to form possessive nouns, why the possessive case is important.

• I don't have a bank account, because I don't know my mother's maiden name. (Comedian Paula Poundstone)
• You can tell a lot about a fellow's character by his way of eating jellybeans. (President Ronald Reagan)
• Psychiatry enables us to correct our faults by confessing our parents' shortcomings. (Educator Laurence J Peter)
• My theory of evolution is that Darwin was adopted. (Comedian Steven Wright)
• Hope is tomorrow's veneer over today's disappointment. (Comedian Evan Esar)
• Wagner's music is better than it sounds. (Comedian Edgar Wilson Nye)

Q: Is the possessive case the same as the genitive case? A: Yes

• He used Mike's garage to store Monet's paintings.

Q: Are possessive determiners a type of pronoun? A: Yes

(Reason 1) When using an apostrophe for possession, put it in the right place.

(Exception 1) Plural words that don't end "s":

(Exception 2) Singular words that end "s":

(Reason 2) Don't add an apostrophe to a word just because it ends "s."

(Reason 3) Do not confuse the possessive determiners with similar-sounding contractions.

(1) Do not confuse its with it's :

(2) Do not confused your with you're :

(3) Do not confuse their with they're or there .

(Reason 4) Don't put an apostrophe in yours , hers , ours , or theirs .

(reason 5) don't use his/her ..

• If your possessor is singular, put the apostrophe before the "s." If it's plural, put it afterwards. (But, beware the exceptions!)
• Don't shove an apostrophe in a word just because it ends "s."
• If you're unsure whether to use "its/it's," "your/you're," or "their/they're," expand it to the two-word version ("it is," "you are," "they are"). If your sentence now make no sense, use the first one. There are no apostrophes in any possessive determiners.
• There are no apostrophes in "hers," "yours," "ours," or "theirs."
• Use "their" to replace "his/her."

This page was written by Craig Shrives .

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Possessives

A noun can be made possessive when it could also have of a or of the preceding it.

the bag of a student = a student’s bag the orbits of the planets = the planets’ orbits

A singular noun is usually made possessive by adding ’s to the end of the word.

The woman’s coat is red.

Most proper names are made possessive by adding ’s to the end.

Wong’s argument is compelling.

A singular noun that ends in s can be made possessive either by adding ’s to the end of the word or by adding only ’ to the end of the word.

A Christmas Carol is probably Dickens’ / Dickens’s best loved work. The moss’ / moss’s tendency is to grow only on the north sides of trees.

Classical names ending in s as well as names ending with an s and an “iz” sound traditionally use only an apostrophe to mark possession.

Herodotus’ sense of history is still with us today. There are many allusions to the sea in Menzies’ poetry.

A plural noun that ends in s can be made possessive either by adding only ’ to the end of the word (the preferred method), or by adding ’s to the end of the word.

All the soldiers’ / soldiers’s uniforms were torn.

A plural noun that ends in a letter other than s can be made possessive by adding ’s to the end of the word.

The men’s curling match will take place at 2:00, and the women’s will take place at 5:00.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns generally do not use an apostrophe to indicate possession. This rule also applies to the possessive form of it , which is its .

Do you see that woman over there? Her dog is very friendly. He was late for work because his car did not start this morning. Is that your house? No, ours is the one beside it. Virtue is its own reward.

Some possessive pronouns do, however, use ’s .

That meal would not be to everyone’s taste.

Note: it’s is not a possessive but a contraction (short form) for it is .

It’s warm in here. = It is warm in here.

Written by Mairi Cowan, University College Writing Centre

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Possessive Nouns in English Grammar

How to use the possessive s, possessive s: extra info, possessive with of, when to use of, when not to use of, what is a possessive noun.

A possessive noun is when we add apostrophe s (’s) (also: possessive s ) or just an apostrophe (’) to a noun to show that it owns something. We can also indicate possession using the preposition of .

Learn when to use an apostrophe in English grammar, then put your knowledge to the test in the exercises.

Yasmin’s company publishes children’s books. She is head of the company .

It is a small company, but very international.

Officially, the company language is English, but they speak many different languages in the office.

Today, two students are starting an internship at Yasmin’s company .

The aim of the internship is to improve students’ language skills and give them work experience.

Yasmin shows the students the interns’ desk. It is at the back of the office .

Later, they will attend a meeting about this quarter’s sales numbers.

The basic rule is as follows: use apostrophe s (’s) with singular nouns and just an apostrophe (’) with regular plural nouns.

The longer explanation is that the type of possessive depends on the final letter of the noun:

• add ’s to all nouns that don’t end in -s; i.e. singular nouns and irregular plurals.
• just add an apostrophe (’) to nouns that end in -s; i.e. regular plural nouns and some singular nouns.

Singular nouns ending in -s: apostrophe s or just apostrophe?

Singular nouns that end in -s can take just an apostrophe or ’s in the possessive, although the latter is less common.

If we are referring to two nouns, we add ’ s to the final one.

We also use the possessive s in the following situations:

• with time periods
• in short answers
• to refer to places we are familiar with (mostly in spoken language)

Instead of ’s , we can also indicate possession with noun + of + noun, mostly when the noun is a non-living thing such as an organisation, company, country, etc.

As shown above, ’s and of are often interchangeable. However, there are some cases where only one is possible:

We use of and not ’s when:

• the noun phrase is very long
• with beginning, middle and end, as well as top, bottom, front, back, side, etc.
• with words like sound, smell, taste, etc.
• with official titles
• we wish to sound more formal

As a general rule, we don’t use of when the noun is a person or other living thing; we use ’s instead:

Sometimes we make an exception in formal language:

Sometimes we omit the possessive completely and indicate possession with noun + noun . This is only possible when referring to non-living things.

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Home » The Writer’s Dictionary » Possessive

The possessive case (also sometimes called the genitive case) is the case of nouns and pronouns that denote ownership, possession, or occupancy. For example,

• Susie’s cat ran away.
• I jumped into the driver’s seat.

Having Susie in the possessive case shows that it is her cat that ran away and not someone else’s. It also shows in which seat I jumped. I jumped into the seat that belongs to the driver.

You can form the possessive singular of nouns by adding an apostrophe and an s (‘s). This just means to add an ‘s to all nouns that are singular.

• This is George’s book.

George is only one person, so in order to form the possessive singular we simply add an ‘s.

The possessive plural is formed by adding only an apostrophe (except for a few irregular plurals that do not end in s). For example,

• The Johnsons’ house is very large.
• The puppies’ paws are so cute!
• The children’s books are in the library.

Pronominal possessives (mine, ours, your, yours, his, hers, its, theirs, whose) do not have apostrophes. For example,

• I read a book of hers last year for school.
• Is this yours?

Indefinite pronouns, however, do use apostrophes. For example,

• One must fight for one’s rights.
• I think this is somebody else’s glass.

Multiword compound nouns are formed into the possessive by adding the appropriate ending on the last word. For example,

• My brother-in-law’s music collection is quite impressive.

What about Words Ending in S?

There is some debate whether to include an ‘s after singular words ending in s. For example,

• Dennis’s shoes or Dennis’ shoes?
• Kansas’s schools or Kansas’ schools?

Strunk and White’s famous book The Elements of Style states in rule 1 to add ‘s no matter what the final consonant.

Other Style guides like the Chicago Manual of Style agree largely with Strunk and White, while the AP Stylebook uses only an apostrophe for proper names ending in s and common nouns ending in s where the first letter of the next word is s.

• Dennis’s shoes (correct in Chicago Style)
• Dennis’ shoes (correct in AP Style)
• Kansas’s schools (correct in Chicago Style)
• Kansas’ school (correct in AP Style)

The Chicago Manual of Style does, however, have exceptions to Strunk and White’s general rule and some further options to consider. For more information and style guide specific rules, see our full page on possessives in Chicago Style and AP Style.

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Free learning resource on English grammar, punctuation, usage, and style.

Possessives in English

A possessive is a word that expresses a relationship of belonging. Possessives can be forms of nouns, which always contain an apostrophe, or of pronouns ( your , yours , theirs ), which never take an apostrophe.

• Farley’s shoes are lost. ( shoes that belong to Farley )
• We found the superhero’s cape wrapped around a streetlight.
• Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, is a historic city.
• Is this her motorcycle?
• I left my scarf in his car.
• I love your hat!
• Is this bag mine or yours ?
• Their car is parked in our driveway.
• This car is theirs , not ours .
• The car’s frame is undamaged, but its windshield is broken.

Possessives of nouns

Form the possessive of a singular noun by adding an apostrophe and s to the word.

• the girl’s hat
• my mother’s family
• the ship’s captain
• my cat’s paws
• the virus’s variants
• the baby’s toys

A word in the possessive case is generally followed by a noun (e.g., the girl’s hat ), but not always. When it is clear what is being referred to, the noun may be omitted.

• I’m going to my sister’s for dinner.
• Mr. Pitkin is an old friend of my father’s .
• This book is Anita’s .

Many plurals are formed by adding s or es . To form the possessive of a plural ending in s , simply add an apostrophe after the s that makes the plural.

• the girls’ hats.
• the mothers’ petition
• the ships’ manufacturer
• my cats’ paws
• the churches’ wardens
• the babies’ toys

Not all plurals end in s (e.g., child / children , woman / women ). Add an apostrophe followed by an s to form the possessive of such a plural.

• the children’s picnic
• The women’s team
• the bacteria’s survival rate
• our alumni’s achievements

The apostrophe goes before and not after the s in the possessive of a plural not already ending in s .

• Correct: the men’s jerseys Incorrect: the mens’ jerseys
• Correct: the children’s park Incorrect: the childrens’ park

To form the possessive of a proper noun (e.g., the name of a person or a place), add an apostrophe and s , as you would for other singular possessives.

• Farley’s shoelaces
• Asia’s mountain ranges
• Rome’s ancient monuments
• St. Patrick’s Day

To form the possessive of a name that already ends in s , you can either add an apostrophe and another s or just an apostrophe. Both styles are acceptable.

• Charles’s crown
• Keats’s poems
• Harris’s views
• Charles’ crown
• Keats’ poems
• Harris’ views

Some style guides, such as the Chicago Manual of Style and APA Publication Manual , suggest adding an apostrophe and an additional s to form the possessive of a name that already ends in s . Others—the AP Stylebook , for example—recommend adding just an apostrophe. Whichever style you choose, follow it consistently within a document.

And to form the possessive of a plural proper noun (e.g., to refer to an entire family), add an apostrophe after the s that forms the plural, as you would for any other plural noun.

• The Smiths’ car
• The Murphys’ garden
• The Harrises’ cat

Note the difference between possessives of singular and plural proper nouns.

• Singular: Jane Harri s’ cat or Jane Harri s’s cat one person’s cat
• Plural: the Harris es’ cat the family’s cat

Possessives of pronouns

Pronouns, which are words used in place of nouns, also have possessive forms that signify belonging.

• This house is mine .
• Is this yours ?
• That ego of his gets bigger every day.
• This scarf is hers .
• This world of ours needs help.
• A friend of theirs introduced them to the benefits of aloe vera.
• Whose is this?

Don’t use an apostrophe in possessive pronouns such as hers , ours , its , and yours .

• Incorrect: Is this wallet your’s ? Correct: Is this wallet yours ?

Possessive determiners are used before nouns to show relationship. They act much like pronouns, but they cannot stand by themselves in a sentence. They always appear before a noun.

• My father has sold our house to his friend.
• Go to your room!
• Rita strapped on her parachute and jumped off the airplane.
• Poco wore his new boots to the party.
• Their taxi is here.
• This vase has lost its sheen.
• Whose blue mask is this?
• This is a house whose rooms were once filled with books and laughter.

As you can see, possessive determiners and possessive pronouns often have similar forms ( her / hers , our / ours ). However, determiners appear right before a noun, while pronouns replace entire noun phrases.

• Possessive determiner: This is my house. The determiner “my” precedes the noun “house.” Possessive pronoun: This is mine . The pronoun “mine” replaces the noun phrase “my house.”
• Possessive determiner: This is her car. “Her” appears before the noun “car” to show who possesses the car. Possessive pronoun: This is hers . “hers” = “her car”; replaces the entire noun phrase.

Here is a list of possessive determiners and pronouns.

Note how possessive determiners and pronouns contain no apostrophe.

Of as possessive

The word of is a preposition that can indicate that something belongs to something else.

• I love the color of your scarf .
• This is the song of our ancestors .
• The hurricane blew in the windows of the house .

Double possessives

When of is used with a possessive noun or pronoun, it forms what may be called a double possessive, used to referring to one of several .

• I hear a friend of Maya’s wrote this book. one of Maya’s several friends
• A theory of mine is that we all live in fear.
• Is she a friend of yours ?

Don’t use a double possessive unless the meaning is actually possessive and not merely one of association.

• A student of Rita’s wrote this book. Someone who is literally Rita’s student.
• He is now a student of Buddha . Someone who studies Buddha’s teachings, not someone who was his student in life.
• Like you, she is a child of God (not a child of God’s )

Possessives of inanimate objects

It is sometimes thought that nouns for inanimate objects cannot take the possessive case, and that one must use of rather than an apostrophe and s with such nouns. In fact, nouns referring to nonliving things often form the possessive with no trouble at all.

• I really should replace my laptop’s battery.
• The ship’s captain has absolute authority.
• Eclipse hunters chased the moon’s shadow in an airplane.

Nouns for inanimate objects can either form the possessive with an apostrophe and s or take the of -genitive, although one or the other may sometimes sound more natural. For example, “I should replace my laptop’s battery ” sounds more natural than “I should replace the battery of my laptop .” But compare “the end of an era ” with “an era’s end .”

Possessives of possessive forms

If a proper noun is already in the possessive case (e.g., the name of a company, such as McDonald’s), don’t add another apostrophe and s to form its possessive.

• Correct: McDonald’s new menu Incorrect: McDonald’s’s new menu

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To form the possessive of a plural not ending in s , add an apostrophe and then an s .

An apostrophe before the s indicates the noun is singular (one cat’s toys), while an apostrophe after the s shows that the noun is plural (two or more cats’ toys).

The plural of the surname Jones is Joneses . Its possessive is formed by adding an apostrophe after the s ( the Joneses’ home ).

The possessive pronoun yours has an s but no apostrophe.

Its without an apostrophe is a possessive ( its head = the creature’s head ). With the apostrophe, it’s is a contraction ( it’s = it is ), the use of which would be nonsensical here.

Possessive Noun and Plural Possessive Form—Grammar Guide (Examples)

What is a possessive noun ? Nouns possessing a thing or object (real or imagined) are referred to as possessive nouns .

Making a noun possessive often comes with confusion for many writers, as they are unaware of where the apostrophe should be placed.

Are the rules the same for independent possessive pronouns as they are for plural terms?

How can you be sure a proper noun is in its possessive form?

Here, you will learn all about what makes a term possessive and how to write grammatically correct sentences in the possessive format.

What is possessive form?

Possessive form shows ownership or separate possession by adding “ ‘s” or simple “ ‘” to a noun.

The possessive form of writing is often used, but learning all the English grammar rules associated with this style can seem almost impossible.

Fret not, as once you understand how to use possessive nouns, understanding what makes them grammatically correct is rather easy.

The important thing to remember here is that a possessive noun (people, places, or inanimate objects ) shows that one or multiple nouns owns something.

What are possessive nouns?

A possessive noun is a noun that is used to show possession, ownership of something, or a direct connection.

Typically, these are recognized by the apostrophe and the letter “S” at the end of the word somewhere.

Remember, nouns are words used to identify any class of people, things, places, ( common nouns ) or to name a particular person, thing, or place ( proper nouns ).

Some examples of possessive nouns are as follows:

• “The tree’s leaves.”
• “ Daniel’s baseball mitt”
• “The bottle’s cap.”

When should you use a possessive noun?

Writers use a possessive noun to show possession or ownership of something.

Additionally, these terms can be used to indicate a direct connection between the subject and an object.

Typically, possessive nouns are placed directly in front of the object of ownership in a sentence .

When possessive nouns are not used, one can show ownership with the preposition “of.”

For instance:

“…the headphones of the student.”

Notice that this statement can be re-written as “…the student’s headphones.”

In both cases, the possessive form is present.

The audience understands that the “student” is the owner of “the headphones” mentioned in the statement.

Essentially, one should use possessive nouns to describe any situation where a noun owns or possesses something.

Types of possessive nouns

There are four types of possessive nouns to be aware of, which causes confusion for many writers.

Still, there are simple rules to follow that make understanding these words much more manageable.

Plural possessive noun

Plural possessive nouns are trickier to understand because the most singular nouns will usually add an “S” at the end of it to make it plural (unless it is irregular).

With plural possessive nouns, the typical way to write them is to use an apostrophe at the end of the word.

However, for general and proper nouns, like “ class ” or “ Russ ,” the ‘s format is still used to make it a plural possessive noun.

Lastly, keep in mind that the rules for irregular plural nouns are different ( see below).

• “ teams’ game”
• “ pencils’ case”
• “ students’ test”
• “ bottles’ packaging”

Singular possessive

Singular possessive nouns are the most basic and most used form of possessive nouns.

That said, a singular possessive noun is a single noun that becomes possessive by adding an apostrophe and the letter “S” to the end of the word.

Singular possessive nouns also include an “S” at the end of the term even if the noun already ends in an “S.”

As long as the proper noun is singular, singular possessive nouns always include an apostrophe and an “S.”

This also applies to both mass and collective nouns .

Mass are nouns that don’t have a plural form and are uncountable, like “money” or “clothing.”

Collective are nouns that are singular nouns that represent various things, like “family” or “squad.”

• “ Lacy’s car door”
• “ team’s forward”
• “ boss’s chair”
• “ Russ’s barber shop”

Possessive pronouns

Pronouns are words that are used as substitutes for nouns or noun phrases that are either named or already understood in context.

There are two types of possessive pronouns: weak possessive pronouns and strong possessive pronouns.

Weak possessives serve as determiners in front of nouns, and are not plural.

These include terms like:

In comparison, strong plural possessive pronouns stand on their own and are a type of independent genitive.

Some examples of words that can act as strong possessive pronouns include:

Essentially, pronouns are used to avoid repetition.

Typically, possessive pronouns do not come before the object of the possessive.

Instead, what the possessive pronoun refers to was already mentioned in the statement.

Therefore, one uses possessive pronouns to avoid repeating the initial word.

• “I don’t have my book with me . Can I use yours ?”
• “I wish I had a fashion sense like hers .”
• “David’s house is closer to the club than mine is.”
• “I wanted to develop a website that ran similar to his .”
• “I couldn’t think of a second noun to use, so I used hers .”

Irregular possessive

As previously mentioned, most plural nouns end with an “S,” but that rule doesn’t apply to all plurals.

That said, irregular plural nouns include terms like “children” or “teeth.”

Further , these terms each have unique plural forms.

When irregular possessive nouns ends with an “S,” one only needs to add an apostrophe.

When irregular possessive nouns do not end in “S,” one adds both an apostrophe and an “S.”

• “wolves’ den (singular: wolf’s den)
• “women’s brunch” (singular: woman’s brunch)
• “children’s toys” (singular: child’s toys)
• “knives’ shelf” (singular: knife’s shelf)

Where to add an apostrophe rules

In the case of singular possessive nouns , one adds an apostrophe at the end of the singular noun, followed by an “S.”

No matter what letter the singular noun ends in, the format stays the same.

So, the format for a singular possessive noun looks like this:

[single noun] + [‘s]

For a plural possessive noun , one includes an apostrophe at the very end of the term.

If the plural form of the word is irregular, the format is different from that of plural possessive nouns.

Still, this is how a plural possessive noun should look:

[plural noun] + [‘]

In the case of possessive pronouns , you do not need to add an apostrophe to the term in question.

Recall that possessive pronouns include terms like “mine,” “yours,” “his/hers/theirs,” and “ours.”

As you can see in each possessive pronoun, you simply leave the term as is.

This rule makes understanding how to use possessive pronouns a little easier.

When writing possessive nouns that are irregular , the rule differs depending on if the plural ends in an “S” or not.

When an irregular possessive noun ends in an “S,” the format is:

[plural word] + [‘]

Possessive apostrophes are formatted differently for irregular plurals that do not end in an “S.”

[plural term] + [‘s]

Plural nouns vs. plural possessive nouns

A plural noun is when there is more than one person, place, or thing.

Most plural nouns add an “-s” or “-es” to the end of the term to become plural.

Recall that plural possessive nouns indicate that more than one noun has ownership of a thing.

Since a plural noun almost always ends in an “S,” only an apostrophe is required at the end of the term.

Take the following comparison to see the difference between plural forms of singular words:

“The dog’s bone is in the kitchen.”

In this sentence, the reader knows there is one dog, and that dog owns the bone that is currently in the kitchen.

Now, look at this second sentence:

“The dogs are playing in the park.”

In this second example, the reader understands that there is more than one dog at the park.

Lastly, see these two sentences:

“Kyle’s dogs ran away. The dogs’ leashes were nowhere to be found.”

These statements contain two possessives.

The first is “Kyle’s” and the second is “dogs’.”

In the first sentence, the reader can see that not one dog belongs to Kyle, but multiple (because the first noun is plural).

In the second, the reader understands that the leashes belong to the dogs.

The correct form of a plural or singular possessive noun is often simply differentiated by an apostrophe.

Compound possessives

If a possessive noun is a compound word, the rules are similar to other possessives.

First, here are a few examples of compound nouns:

• Grandmother
• Firefighter

When the compound word is singular, simply include an apostrophe to make it possessive and show ownership.

• “The firefighter’s helmet.”
• “My grandmother’s birthday cake.”

When the compound plural noun ends in an “S,” the possessive looks like this:

• “The firefighters’ helmets.”
• “Our mailboxes’ tags.”

Hyphenated possessives

A hyphenated word is a type of compound term that typically includes two or more nouns connected by a hyphen .

Some more examples of compound terms with hyphens include:

• Mother-in-law
• Merry-go-round

When a hyphenated noun possesses other nouns, one writes the possessive form like this:

• “My mother-in-law’s last word.”
• “Her ex-husband’s lease.”

When the possessive singular nouns become plural and end in an “S,” they are written as such:

“The X-rays’ images were clear enough to read .”

However, if the plural does not have an “S” at the end, one adds both an apostrophe and an “S” to the final term, which looks like this:

“The mothers-in-law’s behaviors were not expected.”

Possessive adjectives

A possessive adjective is an adjective (describing word) that modifies a noun by showing who has possession of it.

That said, the most frequently used possessive adjectives include:

Take the following sentence for instance:

“Michael placed his shirt on the table.”

In this statement, the adjective “his” indicates to the reader that Michael owns the shirt.

These adjectives can also be used to show ownership of a figurative object, such as :

“Piper described her daydream to me at lunch.”

In the previous case, “her” is the possessive adjective .

Lastly, these types of adjectives can refer to relationships people have with others.

• “Gavin and Ben are driving with their parents.”
• “Their” depicts that the parents are related to Gavin and Ben, not that Gavin and Ben own their parents.

Possessive Nouns and Plural Posessive Nouns FAQs

Can an apostrophe and an “s” together represent a contraction.

Yes. Two words put together to make a single word can also do this. For example: ice-cream. Or ice-cream. These can be compound nouns , as well. For example, “coffee table,” “forest fire.”

What is a plural possessive noun that ends in an apostrophe “s”?

An example would be “children’s clothes.” Without an apostrophe “s” and being a possessive noun would be: kids toys, smiths house (referring to the smith family). Each relate to different things but indicate possession.

What are the seven possessive nouns?

Mine, ours, yours, his, hers, its, and theirs.

What are the three rules of possessive nouns?

Rule 1: To form the possessive of a singular or to add an apostrophe and an s.

Rule 2: For a plural noun, add only an apostrophe (‘)

Rule 3: For a possessive noun that does not end in an “s” letter, add an apostrophe and “s” letter. For examples, “mice’s.”

More on nouns

More resources about nouns:

• Possessive nouns
• Irregular plural nouns
• Proper nouns
• Concrete nouns
• Collective nouns
• Possessive and plural nouns
• What is a possessive adjective? – Thesaurus.com
• Possessive Pronoun – Definition and Examples – ThoughtCo.
• What Are Posessive Nouns? (with Examples) – Grammar Monster
• What Is a Mass Noun? – Grammarly
• Pronoun definition – Merriam-Webster
• Possessive Nouns: How to Use Them, With Examples – Grammarly
• Hyphenated Words: Usage, Rules, and Examples – Pro Writing Aid
• What Are Proper Nouns And How Do You Use Them?
• Compound Nouns | Grammar – EnglishClub
• 6. Compounding Rules A compound word is a union of two or more nouns

Inside this article

Fact checked: Content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. Learn more.

About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

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Possessives

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A noun can be made possessive when it could also have of a or of the preceding it.

the bag of a student = a student’s bag the orbits of the planets = the planets’ orbits

A singular noun is usually made possessive by adding ’s to the end of the word.

The woman’s coat is red.

Most proper names are made possessive by adding ’s to the end.

Wong’s argument is compelling.

A singular noun that ends in s can be made possessive either by adding ’s to the end of the word or by adding only ’   to the end of the word.

A Christmas Carol is probably Dickens’  / Dickens’s best loved work. The moss’ / moss’s tendency is to grow only on the north sides of trees.

Classical names ending in s as well as names ending with an s and an “iz” sound traditionally use only an apostrophe to mark possession.

Herodotus’ sense of history is still with us today. There are many allusions to the sea in Menzies’ poetry.

A plural noun that ends in s can be made possessive either by adding only ’   to the end of the word (the preferred method), or by adding ’s to the end of the word.

All the soldiers’ / soldiers’s uniforms were torn.

A plural noun that ends in a letter other than s can be made possessive by adding ’s to the end of the word.

The men’s curling match will take place at 2:00, and the women’s will take place at 5:00.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns generally do not use an apostrophe to indicate possession. This rule also applies to the possessive form of it , which is its .

Do you see that woman over there? Her dog is very friendly. He was late for work because his car did not start this morning. Is that your house? No, ours is the one beside it. Virtue is its own reward.

Some possessive pronouns do, however, use ’s .

That meal would not be to everyone’s taste.

Note: it’s is not a possessive but a contraction (short form) for it is .

It’s warm in here. = It is warm in here.

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Understanding the Possessive Form [English Grammar]

Posted by David S. Wills | Oct 2, 2023 | Grammar | 0

The possessive form is an integral part of English grammar, but it is one that often confuses people. In this article, I will try to explain the various uses of and rules for the possessive form. Hopefully, by the end of this lesson you will understand it quite clearly.

Table of Contents

What is the possessive form, singular nouns, plural nouns ending in ‘s’, plural nouns not ending in ‘s’, compound nouns, multiple owners, exceptions and special cases, people’s or of people, common mistakes.

The possessive form is used to indicate that one noun owns or is closely related to another. For instance, instead of saying “the car that belongs to John,” you can simplify it to “John’s car.” In the latter example, “John’s” is in the possessive form.

As you can see, the possessive form usually indicates ownership. For example:

• That’s my book.
• This is Sarah’s chair.
• Let’s go to your house.
• I borrowed Daniel’s camera.

In each of those examples, a noun or pronoun was made into its possessive form, which shows ownership of the noun that follows it.

Possession is not always about ownership of an object though. We might also say things like:

• That was his fault.

While perhaps we cannot physically own fault, we still use possessive form to show a relationship between these ideas.

Basic Rules for Possessive Form

For singular nouns, simply add an apostrophe followed by the letter “s” (‘s). For example:

• The dog’s ball (The ball belongs to the dog)

Additional Examples for Singular Nouns

• Usage in a sentence: “The cat’s toy is missing, and she keeps meowing.”
• Usage in a sentence: “The teacher’s desk is filled with papers to grade.”
• Usage in a sentence: “John’s book has his name written on the cover.”

These examples demonstrate how adding an apostrophe and an “s” to a singular noun helps to indicate ownership or a particular relationship to another noun. The concept becomes intuitive with practice, so don’t hesitate to apply it in your everyday conversations and writings!

For plural nouns that already end in “s,” add only an apostrophe (‘) at the end. For example:

• The dogs’ owner (The owner of multiple dogs)

Additional Examples for Plural Nouns Ending in ‘s’

• Usage in a sentence: “The drivers’ cars have been put under a lot of strain during this race.”
• Usage in a sentence: “The students’ grades have been posted on the bulletin board.”
• Usage in a sentence: “The teachers’ lounge is getting a new coffee machine.”

By adding just an apostrophe to plural nouns ending in “s,” you can effectively and efficiently indicate ownership or a relationship to another noun. This rule simplifies the expression of complex relationships in a concise manner. Feel free to practise these examples in your conversations and writings to become more proficient in using the possessive form.

For plural nouns that do not end in “s,” use the same rule as singular nouns: add an apostrophe followed by “s” (‘s). For example:

• The children’s books (The books belonging to the children)

Additional Examples for Plural Nouns Not Ending in ‘s’

• Usage in a sentence: “The women’s restroom is on the second floor.”
• Usage in a sentence: “The men’s locker room was recently renovated.”
• Usage in a sentence: “The new park was the people’s choice for the community project.”

When dealing with plural nouns that don’t end in “s,” adding an apostrophe followed by an “s” (‘s) allows you to show ownership or a close relationship between nouns effectively. This rule is a straightforward way to convey more complicated ideas simply and accurately. It’s useful for both speaking and writing, so incorporating it into your daily language use can enhance your communication skills.

For compound nouns, add the possessive form to the final noun only. For example:

• My sister-in-law’s car (The car belongs to my sister-in-law)

Additional Examples for Compound Nouns

• Usage in a sentence: “My mother-in-law’s recipe for apple pie is a family favourite.”
• Usage in a sentence: “The attorney general’s decision will be announced tomorrow.”
• Usage in a sentence: “The postman’s bag was heavier than usual today.”

In compound nouns, you’ll note that the possessive form is added only to the final part of the compound noun. This is a standard rule in English and helps maintain clarity in complex or long phrases. It’s a useful rule that simplifies expressions and makes your speech and writing more effective. So, the next time you encounter a compound noun and wish to make it possessive, remember only the final noun needs to be altered.

By the way, knowing this sort of rule will really help boost your score for Grammatical Range and Accuracy !

When multiple nouns own a single object, make only the last noun possessive. For example:

• Mary and John’s house (The house belongs to both Mary and John)

Additional Examples for Multiple Owners

• Usage in a sentence: “Jack and Jill’s pail was used to fetch water.”
• Usage in a sentence: “Sara and Tim’s wedding was a lovely affair.”
• Usage in a sentence: “Mum and Dad’s anniversary is coming up, and we need to plan something special.”

When indicating that an object or concept belongs to multiple people, remember to add the possessive form only to the last noun. This clearly communicates that the ownership or relationship is shared among all the names listed. This rule simplifies the expression of complex relationships and can be used effectively in both speech and writing.

You must pay attention to subject-verb agreement here. Even though two people own something, if that something is a singular noun and it matches to the following verb, the verb must be in singular form.

Pronouns have their own possessive forms and don’t use an apostrophe. For example:

• my, his, her, its, your, their
• This is my dog.
• That is her apartment.
• Is this your book?

Possessive with ‘of’

Sometimes, particularly with inanimate objects or abstract concepts, it might be more natural to use “of” to show possession. For example:

• The cover of the book.
• The laws of physics

This would be a little more common than saying “The book’s cover” or “Physics’ laws.”

Understanding the possessive form is vital for clear and effective communication in English. It helps condense complex ideas into simpler expressions without losing meaning. Though there are rules to follow, practice makes it much easier to incorporate them naturally into everyday language. So, keep practising, and you’ll become adept at using possessives in no time!

Whilst sometimes we have a choice to use either a possessive form or “of,” we almost never say “of people” or use a person’s name. For example:

• INCORRECT: The government must respect the rights of people.
• CORRECT: The government must respect people’s rights.
• INCORRECT: This is the house of John.
• CORRECT: This is John’s house.
• INCORRECT: This is the phone of my friend.
• CORRECT: This is my friend’s phone.

This rule is quite tricky for many speakers of European languages because usually a direct translation from their language uses “the ___ of (someone).” However, we just don’t say this in English anymore. It was possible many years ago but it is not very archaic.

When we use the possessive form, we still have to pay attention to other grammatical rules, such as pluralisation. Many people add “s” to make a word plural but forget that they need to use the plural form. For example, they might write:

• Conservationists have made efforts to protect tiger’s habitats.

So what is wrong here?

The problem is that “tiger” is in neither singular nor plural form. This is actually quite a serious problem. We need to either say “a tiger’s habitat” or “tigers’ habitats.” In this case, the latter would be most logical:

• Conservationists have made efforts to protect tigers’ habitats.

Sometimes you can even write something that is grammatically correct… but in fact it is factually wrong! Look at these two sentences and their explanations:

• This means that one student has his/her grades decline.
• This means that some/many students had their grades decline.

Let’s finish up with a little quiz that appeared on my Twitter page some months ago:

Do you know the right answer? I hope so!

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• Possessive Noun | Examples, Definition & Worksheet

Possessive Noun | Examples, Definition & Worksheet

Published on 13 February 2023 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 3 October 2023.

A possessive noun is the special form of a noun that’s used to indicate ownership (possession). The possessive noun represents the owner (possessor) of something and usually comes right before another noun representing what they own (e.g., ‘ Jeremy’s car’).

Possessive nouns are formed from the basic versions of nouns by adding an apostrophe and the letter ‘s’: for instance, boy becomes boy’s . The possessives of plural nouns normally only add an apostrophe, not an additional ‘s’: boys becomes boys’ .

Possessive nouns don’t always indicate literal ownership. ‘Alice’s brother’ doesn’t suggest that Alice owns her brother; the possessive is just used to show their relationship.

Granddad’s hearing isn’t what it used to be.

That’s my room, and this one is Nari’s .

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Table of contents

Possessive form, how are possessive nouns used in sentences, compound possessive, possession vs contraction, indicating possession with ‘of’, worksheet: possessive nouns, other interesting language articles, frequently asked questions.

While the possessive is normally formed by adding an apostrophe ‘s’ , the ‘s’ is omitted for some types of nouns. The table below summarises how to form the possessive for various types. More details are given in the following sections.

Singular possessive nouns (and irregular plurals)

The possessive version of a singular noun is normally formed by adding an apostrophe followed by an ‘s’. ‘Sara’ becomes ‘Sara ’s ‘, and ‘cat’ becomes ‘cat ’s ‘.

This also applies to irregular plural nouns that don’t end in ‘s’ (e.g., ‘ children’s toys’), to abbreviations (e.g., ‘the ANC’s ‘), and to compound nouns made up of multiple words, whether hyphenated or written with spaces (e.g., ‘my son-in-law’s idea’).

It also applies to singular nouns that end in ‘s’ (e.g., ‘the analysis’s conclusion’).

Plural possessive nouns

Most plural nouns end in ‘s’, so the rule for forming their possessive versions is to just add an apostrophe, not an additional ‘s’ (e.g., ‘the boys’ bedtime’, ‘ animals’ habitats’).

Mistakes are common in this area, because the plural possessive sounds just like the singular possessive but shouldn’t be written in the same way. ‘My mother’s idea’ has a different meaning from ‘my mothers’ idea’, even though they’d sound the same aloud.

The apostrophe alone is also used for pluralised versions of names (e.g., ‘the Joneses’ house’). And it’s used for nouns whose singular form ends in ‘s’ and looks the same as the plural form (e.g., ‘ ethics’ importance’).

Singular names ending in ‘s’

With a name like ‘James’, there’s some disagreement about how to form the possessive. Most style guides recommend following the standard rule for singular nouns and adding an apostrophe and an ‘s’: James’s .

Others argue that the possessive should be formed differently depending on whether the added ‘s’ sounds natural when pronounced aloud. So they might argue you should write James’s but go for just the apostrophe with another noun like Jesus’ .

Because of the inconsistency involved in this way of approaching the issue, and because style guides like MLA , APA , and Chicago recommend always adding the ‘s’, we advise going for the first approach.

Possession of nouns in italics or quotation marks

When a noun is written in italics (e.g., the name of a book, a foreign term), the possessive apostrophe and ‘s’ (if included) should be written in plain text, not in italics.

• The Catcher in the Rye ’s ending
• The New York Times ’ editorial staff

When a noun is written in quotation marks (e.g., a song title, the name of a poem), don’t attempt to form the possessive in this way. It looks messy, and the reader is unlikely to notice the apostrophe. Use a different phrasing.

• ‘Hey Jude’’s lyrics
• ‘Hey Jude’s’ lyrics
• The lyrics to ‘Hey Jude’

Exception: ‘For goodness’ sake’

In the traditional expression ‘for goodness’ sake’ and similar expressions where the possessive noun ends in an ‘s’ sound, it’s normal to use only an apostrophe. This is because using the ‘s’ would disrupt the rhythm of the expression by adding another syllable.

Note that such expressions generally aren’t used in formal contexts like academic writing anyway.

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Possessive nouns are used in two ways in sentences:

• Before another noun , in which case they essentially play the same role as possessive determiners like ‘my’. A possessive used in this way modifies the noun that comes next, which represents the thing or person ‘possessed’.
• Independently , in which case they stand alone, not connected to another noun. They’re still implicitly connected to a noun from earlier in the sentence or clear from the context. This is the same as the role played by possessive pronouns like ‘mine’.

A compound possessive is the possessive form of a series of two or more nouns joined by conjunctions . In some cases, you should write every noun in the possessive form (e.g., ‘Kim’s and Harry’s’), in some cases only the last one (e.g., ‘Kim and Harry’s’).

• Both nouns are possessive when the different entities possess something separately.
• Only the last noun is possessive when the different entities share something, possessing it collectively.

Fabian and Denise’s car is a Mazda. [They share a car.]

France’s and Germany’s economies were both in recession. [They are two separate economies.]

As well as possession, the apostrophe is also used to indicate contraction : the shortening of a word or series of words. For example, ‘ it’s ‘ is a contraction of ‘it is’ or ‘it has’; the apostrophe stands for the missing letter(s).

Because of this, the possessive forms of singular nouns look identical to contractions of those nouns with ‘is’ or ‘has’. For instance, ‘Julia’s’ could be the possessive form of ‘Julia’, or it could be a contraction of ‘Julia is’ or ‘Julia has’.

The intended meaning is usually clear from the context. You can assume that it’s the possessive if it’s followed directly by another noun. If it’s followed by some other part of speech like an adverb , verb , or article , you’re likely dealing with a contraction.

The cat’s not here. [‘cat is’]

Reza’s apartment is on the fifth floor.

The apostrophe is not the only way to indicate possession in English. Phrasings with the preposition ‘of’ are the other main way. An ‘of’ phrasing is the best choice in two main situations.

When the possessor is an object or concept (not a person or animal), it’s usually regarded as better style to use ‘of’ to create the possessive. Sometimes the possessive noun version reads well enough, but the ‘of’ version is more natural. Other times, especially when the ‘of’ version is an established expression, using a possessive noun reads poorly:

• Politics’ importance
• The importance of politics
• My car’s steering wheel
• The steering wheel of my car
• The family’s head
• The head of the family

An ‘of’ phrasing is also a good way to avoid creating a series of possessive nouns that could be awkward to read:

• Eliot’s writing’s themes
• The themes of Eliot’s writing

Other techniques may be needed to rephrase a series of three or more possessives; a series of ‘of’ phrases can be just as awkward as a series of possessive nouns:

• Her wife’s cousin’s stamp collection’s highlight
• The highlight of the stamp collection of the cousin of her wife
• The highlight of the stamp collection carefully maintained by her wife’s cousin

In other situations, the ‘of’ phrasing appears long-winded and reads less smoothly than a possessive noun:

• The eyesight of Rifka
• Rifka’s eyesight
• The car of his girlfriend
• His girlfriend’s car

Double possessive (‘of’ + possessive noun)

An unusual feature of English is the occasional combination of an ‘of’ phrasing with a possessive noun (or possessive pronoun), thus expressing possession in two different ways at once. For example, you can say ‘a friend of John’s’ (instead of ‘a friend of John’, which reads less smoothly).

This phrasing is standard, even though it seems redundant. But it’s only used in cases where the possessor is a person or animal and we want to suggest that they have several of the thing possessed.

The double possessive is most useful in cases where a phrasing with ‘of’ alone would suggest something other than possession.

Other alternatives to possessive nouns

Besides ‘of’, other uses of possessive nouns can sometimes be rephrased using other prepositions or using verbs like ‘belong’. The phrasing depends on what exactly the possessive noun means in each case. Some examples are shown below.

I have a book that belonged to my great-grandmother [one of my great-grandmother’s books].

Want to test your understanding of how singular and plural possessive nouns are formed? Try the worksheet below. In each sentence, fill in the correct possessive noun (ending in ’s or just ’ ) based on the noun presented in brackets.

• Practice questions
• Answers and explanations
• The [dog] _____ toys haven’t been touched.
• Her [parents] _____ house was in the middle of nowhere.
• The [children] _____ dinner is almost ready.
• This [thesis] _____ main goals are outlined below.
• That was [Sergius] ______ idea, not mine.
• To create a possessive from the singular noun ‘dog’, you just add an apostrophe and ‘s’.
• To create a possessive from a plural noun like ‘parents’, you only need to add an apostrophe.
• Although ‘children’ is a plural noun, it’s an irregular one that doesn’t end in ‘s’, so the ‘s’ is added in this case.
• Although ‘thesis’ ends in ‘s’, it’s a singular noun, so the ‘s’ is still added. But note that the better phrasing here would be ‘the main goals of this thesis’, because possessive nouns are normally used when the possessor is a person, not a thing.
• You can choose whether to add the extra ‘s’ to a singular name ending in ‘s’. Most style guides recommend adding the ‘s’ consistently, but it’s also acceptable to make the choice based on which version would be easier to pronounce.

If you want to know more about nouns , pronouns , verbs , and other parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations and examples.

Nouns & pronouns

• Common nouns
• Types of nouns
• Proper nouns
• Personal pronouns
• Uncountable and countable nouns
• Verb tenses
• Phrasal verbs
• Types of verbs
• Active vs passive voice
• Subject-verb agreement
• Interjections
• Determiners
• Prepositions

A possessive pronoun is a pronoun used to indicate indicate ownership (e.g., ‘This hat is mine ‘). The English possessive pronouns are mine , ours , yours , his , hers , theirs , and whose .

A possessive pronoun stands on its own, replacing a noun phrase (e.g., in ‘Jessie says this chair is hers ‘, ‘hers’ replaces ‘Jessie’s chair’).

They should not be confused with possessive determiners , which instead appear before a noun, modifying it (e.g., ‘this is her chair’). The possessive determiners are my , our , your , his , her , its , their , and whose .

A possessive noun is a noun like “farmer’s” that is used to indicate ownership (possession). It normally comes before another noun that indicates the thing possessed (e.g., “the farmer’s pitchfork”).

Possessive nouns are formed from regular nouns by adding an apostrophe followed by an “s,” or, in the case of plural nouns that already end in “s,” by just adding an apostrophe.

Possessive is an adjective meaning “jealous” or “having the desire to own or dominate.” In a grammatical sense, it’s used as a noun or adjective referring to the ways in which possession (ownership) is shown in language.

Some grammatical concepts involving the word are possessive pronouns (e.g., “my”), possessive nouns (e.g., “Steven’s”), possessive apostrophes (apostrophes like the one in “Steven’s”), and possessive case (how words show possession in general).

You normally form a possessive noun from a singular noun by adding an apostrophe and an “s,” but there’s disagreement about how to form the possessive of a name like “James.”

Most style guides recommend adding the apostrophe and “s” like normal: James’s . But some argue that it should depend on which version feels most natural to pronounce, so that you could instead write James’ , without the additional “s.”

We recommend the first approach, adding the “s” consistently, as it’s recommended by most authorities. Whatever you choose, be consistent about how you form the possessive of a particular name. Don’t write James’ at some points and James’s at others.

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How should we use possessive form in an academic paper?

In daily writing, I normally use the possessive form as " shareholders' wealth " or " firms' cash holding ", but it seems that in research, I did not see people use the " ' " for possession if the subject is not human beings, similar to my English teacher guided me, except this paper .

Our identification relies on the difference-in-differences estimation based on a staggered passage of leniency laws in 63 countries around the world from 1990 to 2012. In addition to exploiting a leniency law passage in the firm’s country, we look at the leniency law passages in the main export markets of the firm’s industry , and leniency law passages in the firm’s subsidiary locations , and find consistent results

I think of " wealth of shareholders " or " cash holding of firms ", is it suitable in academic paper writing or I can stick with " shareholders' wealth " or " firms' cash holding "?

• academic-writing

Your guesses are right - the variants "wealth of shareholders" and "cash holding of firms" are more suitable in academic paper writing. An academic paper suggests the usage of full forms of words and phrases and no cuts.

I very recommend looking at this article - Academic Writing: 11 Fundamentals for Your Success - it covers fundamental essentials on academic writing that will help to abstract away from publicists style and creative writing. Pay special attention to the sections about complexity and formality.

Best of luck with your work!

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Frequently asked questions

What does “possessive” mean.

Possessive is an adjective meaning “jealous” or “having the desire to own or dominate.” In a grammatical sense, it’s used as a noun or adjective referring to the ways in which possession (ownership) is shown in language.

Some grammatical concepts involving the word are possessive pronouns (e.g., “my”), possessive nouns (e.g., “Steven’s”), possessive apostrophes (apostrophes like the one in “Steven’s”), and possessive case (how words show possession in general).

Frequently asked questions: Nouns and pronouns

A possessive noun is a noun like “farmer’s” that is used to indicate ownership (possession). It normally comes before another noun that indicates the thing possessed (e.g., “the farmer’s pitchfork”).

Possessive nouns are formed from regular nouns by adding an apostrophe followed by an “s,” or, in the case of plural nouns that already end in “s,” by just adding an apostrophe.

You normally form a possessive noun from a singular noun by adding an apostrophe and an “s,” but there’s disagreement about how to form the possessive of a name like “James.”

Most style guides recommend adding the apostrophe and “s” like normal: James’s . But some argue that it should depend on which version feels most natural to pronounce, so that you could instead write James’ , without the additional “s.”

We recommend the first approach, adding the “s” consistently, as it’s recommended by most authorities. Whatever you choose, be consistent about how you form the possessive of a particular name. Don’t write James’ at some points and James’s at others.

The plural of “moose” is the same as the singular: “moose.” It’s one of a group of plural nouns in English that are identical to the corresponding singular nouns. So it’s wrong to write “mooses.”

For example, you might write “There are several moose in the forest.”

The correct plural of “octopus” is “octopuses.”

People often write “octopi” instead because they assume that the plural noun is formed in the same way as Latin loanwords such as “fungus/fungi.” But “octopus” actually comes from Greek, where its original plural is “octopodes.” In English, it instead has the regular plural form “octopuses.”

For example, you might write “There are four octopuses in the aquarium.”

Normally, the plural of “fish” is the same as the singular: “fish.” It’s one of a group of irregular plural nouns in English that are identical to the corresponding singular nouns (e.g., “moose,” “sheep”). For example, you might write “The fish scatter as the shark approaches.”

If you’re referring to several species of fish, though, the regular plural “fishes” is often used instead. For example, “The aquarium contains many different fishes , including trout and carp.”

The plural of “crisis” is “crises.” It’s a loanword from Latin and retains its original Latin plural noun form (similar to “analyses” and “bases”). It’s wrong to write “crisises.”

For example, you might write “Several crises destabilized the regime.”

A collective noun is any noun that is used to name a group of something (people, animals, things, etc.). “Group” is one very common collective noun. Collective nouns can be common nouns (like “group”) or proper nouns (like “Google” and other company names).

Collective nouns are most commonly treated as singular (e.g., “the herd is grazing”), but usage differs between US and UK English :

• In US English, it’s standard to treat all collective nouns as singular, even when they are plural in appearance (e.g., “The Rolling Stones is …”). Using the plural form is usually seen as incorrect.
• In UK English, collective nouns can be treated as singular or plural depending on context. It’s quite common to use the plural form, especially when the noun looks plural (e.g., “The Rolling Stones are …”).

No, as a general rule, academic concepts, disciplines, theories, models, etc. are treated as common nouns , not proper nouns , and therefore not capitalized . For example, “five-factor model of personality” or “analytic philosophy.”

However, proper nouns that appear within the name of an academic concept (such as the name of the inventor) are capitalized as usual. For example, “Darwin’s theory of evolution” or “ Student’s t table .”

The names of seasons (e.g., “spring”) are treated as common nouns in English and therefore not capitalized . People often assume they are proper nouns, but this is an error.

The names of days and months, however, are capitalized since they’re treated as proper nouns in English (e.g., “Wednesday,” “January”).

A proper adjective is an adjective that was derived from a proper noun and is therefore capitalized .

Proper adjectives include words for nationalities, languages, and ethnicities (e.g., “Japanese,” “Inuit,” “French”) and words derived from people’s names (e.g., “Bayesian,” “Orwellian”).

Common nouns are words for types of things, people, and places, such as “dog,” “professor,” and “city.” They are not capitalized and are typically used in combination with articles and other determiners.

Proper nouns are words for specific things, people, and places, such as “Max,” “Dr. Prakash,” and “London.” They are always capitalized and usually aren’t combined with articles and other determiners.

Pronouns are words like “I,” “she,” and “they” that are used in a similar way to nouns . They stand in for a noun that has already been mentioned or refer to yourself and other people.

Pronouns can function just like nouns as the head of a noun phrase and as the subject or object of a verb . However, pronouns change their forms (e.g., from “I” to “me”) depending on the grammatical context they’re used in, whereas nouns usually don’t.

There are many ways to categorize nouns into various types, and the same noun can fall into multiple categories or even change types depending on context.

Some of the main types of nouns are:

• Common and proper nouns
• Countable and uncountable nouns
• Concrete and abstract nouns
• Collective nouns
• Possessive nouns
• Attributive nouns
• Appositive nouns
• Generic nouns

A noun is a word that represents a person, thing, concept, or place (e.g., “John,” “house,” “affinity,” “river”). Most sentences contain at least one noun or pronoun .

Nouns are often, but not always, preceded by an article (“the,” “a,” or “an”) and/or another determiner such as an adjective .

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Possessives in English

When we want to show that something belongs to somebody or something, we can use possessives:

As you can see from its, cat’s, and country’s, it is not necessary to be a person in order to use a possessive. Here are more examples of using possessives with things:

• Today’s meeting will be at 1 PM.
• This website’s goal is to teach English. = The goal of this website is to teach English.
• Who do you think this year’s  skating champion will be?

Don’t confuse its (possessive) with it’s ( contraction for “it is”)!

The cat ate it’s food The cat ate its food.

Its illegal for a 17-year-old to buy alcohol. It’s illegal for a 17-year-old to buy alcohol. 

Learn more: How to form possessives when the word already ends in S

Test your understanding of possessives in English with this quiz!

Possessives Quiz

Master the details of English grammar:

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Apostrophes – Possessives: Definition, Examples, & Exercises

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: August 2, 2024

Apostrophes to show possession are used to create possessive nouns, which show ‘ownership’ or ‘possession’ of something. Using possessive nouns can help to simplify how we say something. Apostrophes to show possession are not used on pronouns.

In this post we’ll review what apostrophes used to show possession are, their function, and how to use them properly in a sentence.

Once you’re feeling confident, test yourself with a post-assessment quiz and practice with our high quality, standards-aligned questions here .

What We Review

The Basics of Apostrophes to Show Possession

What is an Apostrophe?

An apostrophe (‘) is a punctuation mark most commonly used to show possession or to form a contraction. This post will focus on apostrophes used to show possession. You can learn more about contractions in our post about apostrophes used to form contractions. There are a few important rules to remember when using an apostrophe to show possession, but with a little practice, you’ll find that this punctuation mark can easily be mastered.

Let’s look at how it breaks down:

• You have a brother, and your brother has a room.

You could say:

• This room belongs to my brother.

But it is much easier to say:

• This is my brother’s room.

In this sentence, we use an apostrophe to create a possessive noun . This shows your brother has ‘ownership’ of the room.

While there are some exceptions, let’s first review the three standard rules for using an apostrophe to create a possessive noun.

1) Add an apostrophe + s (‘s) to the end of the noun.

This is the most common use of the apostrophe to show possession:

The ball belongs to the dog.

• The dog ’s ball

The house belongs to my mom.

• My mom ’s house

The toy belongs to that child.

• That child ’s toy

2) Add only an apostrophe to the end of plural nouns ending with an ‘s’.

The house belongs to my parents.

• My parents ’ house.

The bathroom belongs to the girls.

• The girls ’ bathroom.

The project belongs to the students.

• The students ’ project.

3) Add an apostrophe + s (‘s) to the end of plural nouns that do not end with an ‘s’.

The homework belongs to the children.

• The children ’s homework

The voice belongs to the people.

• The people ’s voice.

The cheese belongs to the mice.

• The mice ’s cheese.

Additional Rules

Things can get a bit confusing when the noun you are making possessive ends with an ‘s’. Different grammar authorities may approach this in different ways, but following the rules of the MLA style guide is the most common practice. Follow these guidelines for the following scenarios:

When the singular noun ending with an ‘s’ is the same as the plural form of the noun, only add an apostrophe.

Some words, like scissors or pants, are used as both the singular and plural form of the word. To make these words possessive, we only add an apostrophe to the end of the word.

• The scissors’ cut was sharp.
• The pants’ seam has been loosened.

When a singular proper noun ends with an ‘s’, add an apostrophe + s (‘s).

This question often comes up when using names that end with an ‘s’. While some grammar authorities state that both forms, adding only an apostrophe or adding an apostrophe + s, are acceptable, MLA rules say to add both the apostrophe and ‘s’.

The video game belongs to Lucas.

• Lucas’s video game.

The flowers belong to Ms. Jones.

• Ms. Jones’s flowers.

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3 Tips for Using Apostrophes

Tip #1: If two nouns are equally showing possession, only use an apostrophe on the second noun.

It is not uncommon to apply ownership to more than one noun. In these cases, it is only necessary to make the last noun possessive.

The wedding belongs to John and Jane.

• John and Jane’s wedding.

The club belongs to the boys and girls.

• The boys and girls’ club.

Tip #2: If two nouns are showing separate ownership, use an apostrophe on both nouns.

At times, we might need to show nouns possessing something separately, such as studies conducted by two separate individuals. In these cases, it is necessary to make the possessive form of both nouns.

The writings belong to Shakespeare and Chaucer.

• Shakespeare’s and Chaucer’s writings.

The lunches belong to Lucy and Logan.

• Lucy’s and Logan’s lunches.

Tip #3: When using a hyphenated noun, only make the final word of the hyphenated noun possessive.

Words such as mother-in-law or ten-year-old are compound nouns that use hyphens to connect two or more words. When making the possessive form of these words, only the last word is made possessive to create a possessive noun.

The recipe belongs to my mother-in-law.

• My mother-in-law’s recipe.

The birthday belongs to the ten-year-old.

• The ten-year-old’s birthday.

Applying the Basics: Apostrophes to Show Possession Review & Practice

Now that you understand what apostrophes to show possession are, and how to use them properly in a sentence, let’s practice identifying them and checking for proper usage. Remember, apostrophes to show possession are used to create possessive nouns, which show ‘ownership’ or ‘possession’ of something.

Apostrophes to Show Possession Exercises & Review

Complete the quick exercise below to assess your mastery of apostrophes to show possession.

In the sentences below, select the option that accurately uses an apostrophe to show possession.

1. That (games’/game’s) instructions are missing.

2. The (students’/student’s) lockers were cleaned out before break.

3. I’m going to (Sam’s and Sarah’s/ Sam and Sarah’s) house-warming party this weekend.

• Sam and Sarah’s

4. My (glasses’/glasses’s) lens cracked after falling on the ground.

5. Your (brother’s-in-law/brother-in-law’s) new house is just down the road.

• brother-in-law’s

For additional practice, check out the Apostrophes to Show Possession content on Albert.

Try for Yourself: Apostrophes to Show Possession Quiz

Feeling confident in your understanding of apostrophes to show possession?

Take this short quiz to see what you’ve learned:

1. Are the rules for using an apostrophe to show possession the same for pronouns as they are for regular nouns?

• Correct Explanation: That’s right! Apostrophes to show possession are only used with regular nouns. Pronouns do not use apostrophes to show possession .
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. Pronouns do not use apostrophes to show possession . Apostrophes to show possession are only used with regular nouns.

2. Does using an apostrophe to show possession always require adding an ‘s’ after the apostrophe?

• Correct Explanation: That’s right! Apostrophes to show possession can be shown by adding an apostrophe + ‘s’ ( ‘s ) or just an apostrophe to the end of the noun. Rules vary depending on the type of noun (singular, plural, proper) and whether or not the noun already ends with an ‘s’.
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. Rules vary depending on the type of noun (singular, plural, proper) and whether or not the noun already ends with an ‘s’. Apostrophes to show possession can be shown by adding an apostrophe + ‘s’ ( ‘s ) or just an apostrophe to the end of the noun.

3. Does the following sentence show an accurate use of an apostrophe to show possession?

I enjoy Spielberg’s and Lucas’s movie making styles.

• Answer: Yes
• Correct Explanation: That’s right!  If two nouns are showing separate ownership, an apostrophe to show possession is used on both nouns. In this case, Spielberg and Lucas each make their own movies, so both director’s names have an apostrophe to show possession added to it.
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. If two nouns are showing separate ownership, an apostrophe to show possession is used on both nouns. In this case, Spielberg and Lucas each make their own movies, so both director’s names have an apostrophe to show possession added to it.

4. Does the following sentence show an accurate use of an apostrophe to show possession?

Based on the leftovers’ appearance, it has been at the back of the fridge for way too long.

• Correct Explanation: That’s right! When a singular noun ending in ‘s’ is the same as the plural form of the noun, only the apostrophe to show possession is added to the end of the noun.
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. When a singular noun ending in ‘s’ is the same as the plural form of the noun, only the apostrophe to show possession is added to the end of the noun.

5. Which of the following two sentences accurately uses an apostrophe to show possession?

A. My student’s backpacks were much lighter without all of those heavy textbooks.

B. My students’ backpacks were much lighter without all of those heavy textbooks.

• Correct Explanation: That’s right! Plural nouns ending with an ‘s’ only add the apostrophe to show possession . In this example, we know that ‘students’ is plural because the word ‘backpacks’ is plural, indicating more than one student is being discussed.
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. Plural nouns ending with an ‘s’ only add the apostrophe to show possession . In this example, we know that ‘students’ is plural because the word ‘backpacks’ is plural, indicating more than one student is being discussed.

6. Which of the following sentences accurately uses an apostrophe to show possession?

A. The eleven-year-old’s hoverboard was the highlight of his birthday party.

B. The eleven-year-olds’ hoverboard was the highlight of his birthday party.

• Correct Explanation: That’s right! While this is a hyphenated compound noun being made possessive, the rule for an apostrophe to show possession is based on the noun being singular. The eleven-year-old is a singular compound noun, so an apostrophe + ‘s’ ( ‘s ) is added to make this a possessive noun.
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. While this is a hyphenated compound noun being made possessive, the rule for an apostrophe to show possession is based on the noun being singular. The eleven-year-old is a singular compound noun, so an apostrophe + ‘s’ ( ‘s ) is added to make this a possessive noun.

For additional practice with apostrophes to show possession, check out our practice on Albert.io: Apostrophes to Show Possession .

Teacher’s Corner for Apostrophes – Possessives

While it’s true that apostrophes to show possession are a foundational grammar skill, the Common Core English Language Progressive Skills Chart shows that even elementary-level skills “require continued attention in higher grades as they are applied to increasingly sophisticated writing and speaking.” 

For specific standards addressing apostrophes to show possession, check out the Common Core State Standards site! 

Albert’s Apostrophes to Show Possession practice can be used for much more than homework! 

Our assessments can be used as pre-and post-tests to measure student progress. Our pre-made quizzes can be used as bell-ringers, exit tickets, and more! 

In addition to our pre-made assessments, you can also use our assignments feature to create your own quizzes and assessments.

Summary on Apostrophes to Show Possession

Apostrophes to show possession are used to create possessive nouns, which show ‘ownership’ or ‘possession’ of something.

We use apostrophes to show possession by adding either the apostrophe + ‘s’ ( ‘s ) or just an apostrophe to the end of the noun showing possession. It is important to understand the rules that determine the appropriate placement of an apostrophe to show possession.

Practice makes perfect! Use our Apostrophes to Show Possession practice on Albert’s grammar course !

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