Form the singular or plural possessive

  • Possessive nouns show ownership or relationship.
  • They are formed by adding an apostrophe (’) or an apostrophe followed by “s” (’s) to the noun.

  • For most singular nouns, add ’s to the end of the word.
    • Example: the cat’s toy (toy belonging to the cat).
  • If a singular noun already ends in s, you can add either ’s or just an apostrophe () depending on style preference.
    • Example: James’s book or James’ book.

  • For regular plural nouns (ending in s), add just an apostrophe () after the final s.
    • Example: the teachers’ lounge (lounge belonging to the teachers).
  • For irregular plural nouns (not ending in s), add ’s.
    • Example: the children’s playground (playground belonging to the children).

  • Compound Nouns: Add the possessive form to the last word.
    • Example: my mother-in-law’s house.
  • Joint Possession: When two or more people share ownership, add ’s to the last person’s name only.
    • Example: John and Mary’s car (they share one car).
  • Individual Possession: When each person owns something separately, add ’s to each name.
    • Example: John’s and Mary’s books (each has separate books).

  • Provide students with exercises to identify and correct possessive errors in sentences.
  • Encourage practice in rewriting sentences to include possessive forms.

  • Confusing possessive nouns with plural nouns (e.g., dogs vs. dog’s).
  • Misplacing the apostrophe, especially with plural possessive nouns.

  • Using possessive nouns correctly in essays and creative writing.
  • Emphasizing clarity in ownership to avoid ambiguity.

  • Singular possessive: the dog’s leash (one dog).
  • Plural possessive: the dogs’ leashes (multiple dogs).
  • Irregular plural possessive: the women’s rights.

Let’s practice!✒️