How to Show Possession Using an Apostrophe (‘)

How to Make a Noun Possessive

1. Singular Noun

🧍‍♂️ Rule: Add ‘s to the noun to show that something belongs to one person or thing.
📖 Examples:

• 👦 boy → boy’s (The boy’s hat is black.) 🎩
• 🐱 cat → cat’s (The cat’s toy is missing.) 🧸

2. Plural Noun (Ending in -s)

👥 Rule: If a noun is plural (more than one) and ends in -s, add only an apostrophe (‘) after the -s.
📖 Examples:

• 👦👦 boys → boys’ (The boys’ room is messy.) 🚪
• 🐕🐕 dogs → dogs’ (The dogs’ owner is kind.) 🧍‍♂️

3. Irregular Plural Nouns

👫 Rule: For irregular plural nouns (nouns that don’t end in -s, like children, men, and women), add ‘s even though the noun is already plural.
📖 Examples:

• 👶👶👶 children → children’s (The children’s toys are everywhere.) 🧸🧸🧸🧸🧸
• 🧔🧔🧔🧔 men → men’s (The men’s jackets are on the rack.) 🧥🧥🧥🧥

4. Names Ending in -s

👤 Rule: You can either add ‘s or just an apostrophe after the -s. Both are correct.
📖 Examples:

• James → James’s (OR James’) (James’s / James’ car is new.) 🚗
• Lucas → Lucas’s (OR Lucas’) (Lucas’s / Lucas’ laptop is charging.) 💻

Examples by Category

1. Singular Possessives

• 👦 The boy’s bike is red. 🚲
• 👧 The girl’s doll is new. 🧸
• 👩‍🏫 The teacher’s chalk is on the desk.
• 👨‍⚕️ The doctor’s coat is white. 🥼
• 👨‍✈️ The pilot’s bag is heavy.

2. Plural Possessives

• 👦👦 The boys’ bikes are in the garage. 🚲🚲
• 👧👧 The girls’ dolls are on the floor.
• 👩‍🏫👩‍🏫 The teachers’ pens are on the table. ✏️✏️
• 👨‍⚕️👨‍⚕️ The doctors’ offices are busy today. 🏢🏢
• 👨‍✈️👨‍✈️ The pilots’ uniforms are clean. 👔👔

3. Singular and Plural Special Cases

• 👨 The man’s jacket is hanging on the chair. 🧥
• 👩 The woman’s hat is on the shelf. 🎩
• 👶 The child’s book is on the floor. 📚
• 👨‍🦱👨‍🦱 The men’s jackets are in the closet. 🧥🧥
• 👩‍🦱👩‍🦱 The women’s shoes are by the door. 👠👠👠👠
• 👶👶 The children’s toys are everywhere. 🧸🧸

4. Joint Possession

👬 Rule: When two people own the same thing, use ‘s only on the second name.
📖 Examples:

• Tom and Jack → Tom and Jack’s parents are kind. 👨‍👩‍👦
• Anna and Lucy → Anna and Lucy’s flat is very big. 🏠

5. Separate Possession

Rule: When two people own different things, use ‘s with both names.
📖 Examples:

• 👩👩‍🦰 Jane and Lin → Jane’s and Lin’s desks are next to each other. 🪑💻🪑💻

6. Individual Possessions

📖 Examples:

• 👩 Sarah’s shoes are new. 👠👠
• 👨 John’s bike is fast. 🚲
• 👨‍💼 Mark’s watch is expensive. ⌚
• 👩 Lisa’s phone is ringing. 📱
• 👨‍🦱 Tom’s jacket is missing. 🧥

7. Possessives with Names Ending in “S”

📖 Examples:

Alexis → Alexis’ car (OR Alexis’s car) is parked outside. 🚗

James → James’ book (OR James’s book) is on the table. 📚

Lucas → Lucas’ laptop (OR Lucas’s laptop) is charging. 💻

Charles → Charles’ keys (OR Charles’s keys) are on the counter. 🔑🔑