LoginPossessive Form of Nouns
Learn how to use the possessive form of nouns in English, like 'dog's bone' and 'James's book'. Simple explanations, clear examples, and practice exercises included.
What Are Possessive Forms of Nouns?
The possessive form of nouns are used to show a relationship of possession or ownership between two nouns.
How to Make the Possessive Form of Nouns?
Typically, the possessive form of a noun is formed by adding an apostrophe + s ('s) to the end of a singular noun indicating the possessor. Look at the examples:
Maria's mother turns into a vampire in this episode.
The king's castle is full of people.
Possessives with Singular Nouns Ending in '-s'
When a singular noun ends in the /s/ sound, there are two possible spellings. While some style guides prefer a single apostrophe ('), others recommend the typical 's. Look at the examples.
The boss' office seems untidy every time I enter it.
You can also use "the boss's office"
The witness' testimony was critical to the case.
Possessives with Plural Nouns
When forming a possessive noun with a plural noun ending in -s or -es, we typically add only an apostrophe to the end of the noun. For example:
My parents' house
here in this example, the house belongs to more than a person because the apostrophe is used after 's.'
The kids' playroom
This example refers to a playroom belonging to two or more kids.
The kid's playroom
This example refers to a playroom belonging to one kid.
Possessives with Irregular Plural Nouns
When forming a possessive noun with an irregular plural noun that does not end in -s, we typically add 's. For example:
women's clothes
Plural nouns such as 'sheep' and 'deer', which have the same form as the singular noun, take 's to form possessive nouns. Like:
The deer's horns are big and thick. → plural possessive noun
The plural form of the noun 'deer' is 'deer.'
The deer's horn is big and thick. → singular possessive noun
One deer
Compound Words
With compound nouns (hyphenated or otherwise), 's is added to the final word of the compound, even if it is not the head of the compound.
Her mother-in-law's dress
Mother-in-law is a collective noun. The 's goes at the end of the sentence.
Attorney General's duty
Joint Possessive Nouns
If two or more nouns share possession of something or someone, we add 's only to the last noun in the phrase. For example:
Jane and Paul's children
When 's is added after each possessor, it indicates that each person owns a separate or different thing.
Compare the examples:
Jane's and Paul's children
This is not a joint possessive noun; rather, it is talking about Jane's children and Paul's children separately.
Possessive Nouns or Not?
Possessive nouns are typically formed using 's or simply an apostrophe ('). But be careful not to confuse this with the contracted form of the verb 'is' or 'has' attached to the subject. Take a look at the examples:
The man's car was parked in front of my house.
In this example, there is a noun after 's so the noun before the 's is considered a possessive noun.
The man's really sick.
Here the 's is followed by an adjective phrase which makes it clear that the 's is not a possessive 's.
Possessive Form of Nouns: Uses
Possessive nouns are used to show the relationship between two people. For example:
Albert's mother is cooking us dinner.
Here, 's shows a familial relationship between the mother and the son.
This is Anna's father. His name is Alex.
Possessive nouns are used to indicate ownership or possession of something by a person or animal. Look:
I want to look at Picasso's paintings.
The bird's nest was destroyed in the wildfire.
Possessive nouns can also be used to indicate a temporal association, often with nouns referring to a specific time, such as 'tomorrow,' 'yesterday,' 'today,' 'next week,' 'this year,' and so on. Look:
Today's lesson is about possessive form of nouns.
This year's best movies are listed below.
Possessive nouns can be used to show a part-whole relationship between two things or between a person and a body part. For example:
Taylor's hands were shaking.
The venue's doors were opened to the crowd.
Possessive nouns can also refer to places, such as houses, shops, restaurants, churches, and colleges, using the name or job title of the owner to indicate ownership or association. Look at the examples:
I'm going to the doctor's at 5:00 this evening.
(Doctor's) means the doctor's work place.
Let's eat at The Alessandro's tonight!
Tip
While 'of' can also be used to indicate relationships and ownership, possessive nouns are generally considered the standard way of expressing possession or belonging and are used more frequently. For example:
the lion's roar = the roar of the lion
Anna's father = the father of Anna
Possession with Inanimate Nouns
Inanimate nouns are those that refer to non-living things, such as objects or concepts. There are certain cases where it is acceptable to add 's to a noun signifying an inanimate object, while in other cases a preposition or noun modifier is preferred:
We use 's when the inanimate noun represents a group of people or collective activity.
Manchester's love of sport
We do not mean Manchester, the city. We mean Manchester as a sport community.
When we refer to the inanimate object itself and not an animate being represented by it, alternative structures are preferred to 's, unless a part-whole relationship is indicated.
The residents of Manchester (Not "Manchester's residents")
Here in this example, It is better not to use 's.
When naming a team, it is not necessary to use 's to form a possessive noun. For sports teams, the name of the city is typically used without ('s).
Manchester United
Here, Manchester is a location or hometown, not the people of Manchester.
Other Ways of Showing Possession
Possessive pronouns and possessive determiners are also commonly used to show the variety of relations and associations expressed using the possessive form of nouns. Look at the examples:
These are Jack's toys.
These are his toys.
Here, "his" is a possessive determiner which modifies a noun (toys) to show possession.
These toys are his.
Here, "his" is a possessive pronoun which replaces the possessive noun "Jack's."
Review
Possessives are forms that we use to talk about possessions and relations between things and people. The possessive forms of nouns are typically made by adding 's or a single apostrophe (') to the end of the possessor noun. Possessive nouns are used to show:
Ownership
Personal relations
Temporal association
Part-whole relationship
Ownership or association of places
Quiz:
Which option is not grammatically acceptable?
We need to review James' proposal before the deadline.
We need to review James's proposal before the deadline.
We need to review Jame's proposal before the deadline.
A and B
Sort the words to form a correct possessive sentence with a compound noun.
Complete the sentence with the correct possessive form of the nouns in parentheses.
The
(students) projects were displayed in the hallway.
The
(children) toys were scattered everywhere.
My
(sister-in-law) car broke down yesterday.
(Liam and Emma) wedding is next month.
Match the possessive noun phrases with their correct usage.
Which option is not grammatically preferred?
The table's legs were wobbly.
The book's pages were torn.
The factory's workers went on strike.
The company's culture has changed a lot recently
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