Knowing How to use the apostrophe + S Possessives Knowing How to use the apostrophe + S

Possessive Nouns--Singular A possessive noun is a noun that names who or what has something…hence the word possessive… Most singular nouns require an ’s to show possession. For example: the woman’s sweater David’s lunch a dog’s toy

Possessive Nouns--Singular How do you make a singular noun possessive when the singular noun already ends in an “s”? There are two rules to consider: 1. If the noun is a common noun ending in s, add an ’s. the class’s projects the canvas’s size 2. If the noun is a proper noun ending in s, add an ‘. Mr. Jones’ policies the United States’ debt Kansas’ universities Jesus’ disciples

Possessive Nouns--Plural For plural nouns that end in s, add an ’. the boys’ toys the girls’ coloring books the countries’ landscapes actresses’ roles For plural nouns that do not end in s, add an ’s. the children’s books women’s rights men’s clothing

Possessive Pronouns Possessive Pronouns NEVER GET AN APOSTROPHE. his her—hers it—its When you add an apostrophe to “its” you create “it’s” which means “it is”… your—yours our—ours their—theirs my—mine

Proper Names Proper names that end in s, ch, or z require careful consideration when using a singular possessive or plural possessive form. For example: Mr. Birch’s house is on Brown Street.—singular since Mr. Birch appears to live alone in this sentence. The Birches’ house is on Brown Street.—plural since the Birch Family lives in the house and the plural form alludes to all family members. The last name is Birch, but since it ends in “ch” it becomes “Birches” in the plural form. An apostrophe at the end makes it possessive. The same applies to last names ending in s and z. Make the word plural first, then add the apostrophe.

Joint or Individual Possession Use a single apostrophe for joint possession. Robert Smith and Rebecca Green’s psychology textbook. They coauthored the textbook. Stanley and Scarlett’s house. They share the house. Use an apostrophe for each possessor for individual possession. France’s and Italy’s domestic policies are diverging. Mark’s and John’s houses were designed by the same architect.