Possessive Nouns, Definition, Examples and Exercise

Definition: Possessive nouns show ownership. Possessive comes from the same root as possession, something you own.

What is a Noun?	What is a Noun for Kids?
Types of Nouns	Classifying Noun
Possessive Nouns	Collective Nouns
Irregular Plural Nouns	Singular and Plural Nouns
Common and Proper Noun	Common Proper Noun Worksheet

Singular Possessives

Add ‘s to singular words to show possession.

t-shirt’s logo             moon’s brightness                class’s income

(t-shirt + ‘s)              (moon + ‘s)                      (class + ‘s)

If a singular word ends in s, it is still necessary to add ‘s.

Book’s cover              Goddess’s beauty                 Victor’s spoils

(book + ‘s)                              (Goddess + ‘s)                       (Victor + ‘s)

Plural Possessives

If you have added an s to make a word plural (for example, cat ⇒ cats), adding ‘s will sound ridiculous (cat’s). In that case, add only the apostrophe to the end of the word.

Eggs’ colour                            Frogs’ croaking                    Owls’ eyes

(eggs + ‘)                               (frogs + ‘)                              (owls + ‘)

Just like singular possessives, plural possessives that don’t end in s add ‘s.

Die’s roll                                 Feet’s toenails                       Lice’s size

(die + ‘s)                                 (feet + ‘s)                                (lice + ‘s)

Hint:  Look at the ending in front of the apostrophe to see if the word is singular or plural.

One dog’s tail	(One dog has one tail.)
Two dogs|’ tails	(Two dogs have two tails.)

Find Out Possessive Nouns From examples For exercise:

• Rogar and Susan’s backpacks are in the car.
• The gerbil’s cage needed cleaning.
• The girl’s toys were lined up neatly on the shelf.
• The dog’s bowls are filled with hotdogs.
• The car’s bumpers were locked in the traffic jam.
• Jennifer’s new handbag matches her shoes perfectly.
• The cat’s fur is a matted mess.
• The cat’s bowl is filled with cheeseburgers.
• The doctor’s white coat was hanging in his office.
• Carol and John’s new car is the latest model.