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Chapter overview

English

Reading - text types

Reading comprehension

Writing process

Writing skills

Spelling

Word endings

Grammar

Sentences

Punctuation

Speaking

English

Using possessive apostrophes

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Using possessive apostrophes

In a nutshell 

Possessive apostrophes are used to show that something belongs to something or someone. An apostrophe is a punctuation mark that looks like this: ('). In this summary, you will learn the rules for how to use a possessive apostrophe and the possessive 's'.

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Add apostrophe and 's' if the word does not end in 's'

If the word does not end in 's', you can simply add an apostrophe and 's' to show possession.


Example

word before possession

word + apostrophe + s
Ahmed
Ahmed's car
cat
The cat's food
mother
My mother's flowers



Add apostrophe after the 's' if a word does end in 's'

If the word already ends in 's', then just add apostrophe after the 's' to show possession. Also included in this rule are plural words that already end in 's'.


Example

word before possession

word + apostrophe after the 's'
girls (plural)
The girls' team won.
Mr Smiths
That is Mr Smiths' coffee.
Bus
The bus' wheel kept turning round and round.
cats (plural)
The cats' meows were very loud.


Want to find out more? Check out these other lessons!

Apostrophes

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

FAQs

  • Question: What is an apostrophe?

    Answer: An apostrophe is a punctuation mark that looks like this: (')

  • Question: What is a possessive apostrophe?

    Answer: Possessive apostrophes are used to show that something belongs to something or someone.

  • Question: Where do I add the possessive apostrophe in plural words?

    Answer: If the word already ends in 's', then just add apostrophe after the 's' to show possession. Also included in this rule are plural words that already end in 's'.

Theory

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