1. Possessive Nouns
Level 3

2. Possessive Case Use
The possessive case of a noun is used to show ownership (Allan's car, my sister's house) or another close relationship (the chairman's friends, the cup's handle, the university's position).

3. Problems and Rules Follow this rule:
for singular nouns, add 's, even if the noun ends in an - s or - z sound: dog's, house's, Wes's, Keats's.

4. Make an exception when an added - s would lead to three closely bunched s or z sounds (Jesus', Ulysses') or in names of more than one syllable with an unaccented ending pronounced - eez (Empedocles', Socrates', Euripides').

5. Add an apostrophe alone:
Plural Possessives
Add an apostrophe alone:
several months' bills, many Rumanian's apartments, the encyclopedias' differences, the Rolling Stones' travel plans.

6. women's issues, mice's tails.
If a plural noun doesn't end in - s, add - 's, just as you would with a singular noun:
women's issues, mice's tails.

7. Of construction
When a possessive noun sounds awkward, use an of construction instead. This is often a preferable way to indicate the relationship:
the top of the page instead of the page's top; the lawn of the building on the corner instead of the building on the corner's lawn.

8. Joint Ownership
When you are indicating joint ownership, give the possessive form to the final name only, such as Abbott and Costello's movies, Tom and Dawn's dinner party, Smith, Wilson, and Nelson's partnership.