NOUNS – POSSESSIVE FORMS

SINGULAR NOUNS – POSSESSIVE FORM

NOUNS NOT ENDING IN S OR THE SOUND OF S Add an apostrophe and s. a person’s name Mr. Hill’s statement an attorney’s fee

NOUNS ENDING IN S OR THE SOUND OF S Add an apostrophe and s. my niece’s home Mr. Burns’s title However, if the addition of an extra syllable would make the possessive difficult to pronounce or sound awkward, add only an apostrophe. Mr. Phillips’ application Mr. Rodriguez’ comments

NOUNS ENDING IN S OR THE SOUND OF S Always be sure to place the apostrophe after the final letter of the singular noun. If the singular nouns are Jones and Burns, for example, the singular possessives would be as follows: Jones’s ( NOT: Jone’s) Burns’s (NOT: Burn’s)

NAMES FOLLOWED BY SENIORITY OR SIMILAR TERMS Write the term – NOT the name – in possessive form. L.C. Houston, Sr.’s contract Catherine Slaterry, Ph. D.’s research

NAMES FOLLOWED BY APPOSITIVES Write the appositive – NOT the noun preceding it – in possessive form. Where is Frederick, the well- known furrier’s, newest shop?

TWO OR MORE NOUNS – SEPARATE OWNERSHIP Write each noun in possessive form. Some of the electrician’s and the carpenter’s tools were on the windowsill.

TWO OR MORE NOUNS – JOINT OWNERSHIP Write ONLY the last noun in possessive form. Cody and Josh’s agency handles most of our advertising.

PLURAL NOUNS – POSSESSIVE FORM

1. Change the singular noun to its plural form. Singular:womanchild Plural:womenchildren STEPS:

2. Look at the last letter of the plural noun. 3. If the last letter of the plural noun is not an s, add an apostrophe and s. women’s children’s 4. If the last letter of the plural noun is an s, add only an apostrophe. companies’ boards of directors’ STEPS: