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