Possessive Nouns

A possessive noun is a noun indicating ownership (or possession) by ending 's

or just an apostrophe.

Examples of Possessive Nouns

Here are some examples of possessive nouns (shaded):
 a dog's bone
 a man's jacket
 a man’s lion
 The car’s front seat
 Ahmad’s book
 Babies’ shoes
 Lemons’ acidity
 Owls’ eyes
Possessive Nouns | Forming Rules

When creating the possessive form of nouns, there are 5 simple rules as follows:

1. Making Singular Nouns Possessive

If a Singular Noun, Add ‘S.

 The girl’s hands were chapped by the cold.

 The cat’s toy was missing.
Even if the singular noun is a proper noun (i.e. a name), add ‘s.

 A’s attempts to solve the problem were rewarded.

If names ending in s, you can either add an apostrophe + s, or just an apostrophe.
The first option is more common. When pronouncing a possessive name, we add
the sound /z/ to the end of the name.

 Charles’s car (or Charles’ car)

 Chambers’s house (or Chambers’ house)
 Chris’s exam (or Chris’ exam)

2. Making Plural Nouns Possessive

If a noun is plural in form and ends in an s, add an apostrophe only.

 The tables’ legs were all wobbly and needed repair.

 Cherries’ stones can break your teeth if you are not careful.
 People are prepared to pay high prices for designers’ clothes.
If a plural noun does not end in s, add ‘s.

 The children’s clothes were brand new.

 The prices of men’s shoes run from ￡30 to ￡90.

3. Indicating Possession When Two Nouns are Joined Together

If there is joint possession, use the correct possessive for only the possessive closest
to the noun.

 Clinton and Gore’s campaign was successful.

  I didn’t come to Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s wedding.
 Carol and Susan’ s car is out of gasoline.

4. Indicating Possession When Two Nouns are Joined, and Ownership is Separate

If there is a separate possession of the same noun, use the correct possessive form
for each word.

 Susan’s and Beth’s books are full of useful information.

 The car’s and the bicycle’s owners could speak French perfectly.

5. Making Hyphenated (-) or Compound Nouns Possessive

With hyphenated or compound nouns, use the correct possessive form for the word
closest to the noun. Avoid possessives with compound plurals.

 My daughter-in-law’s gift is a diamond necklace.

 The English teacher’s method is very effective.
 Your neighborhood letter carrier’s job is more difficult than you imagine.
Singular & Plural Possessive Nouns | Images
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