POSSESSIVE APOSTROPHE (’s/s’)
To indicate something belongs to somebody, add ’s (possessive apostrophe) to the end of the
nouns and noun phrases: The queen's palace , Michael’s computer, Beth’s mother
BASIC RULES EXAMPLE
Joyce’s house
For singular nouns (person or animal) Boy’s ball
1 add 's to the end of the noun: Victoria’s journal
If the ending of the noun is with –s
Correct: You are sitting in Jess’s chair. Thomas’s guitar or Thomas’ guitar
2 You are sitting in Jess’ chair. Charles Dickens’s novels or Charles
2 Correct: I am in Ms. Jones’s class this year Dickens’s novel
I am in Ms. Jones’ class this year
3 If the noun has a regular plural form, add girls→ girls’ classroom
-’ to the end of the noun: teachers →teachers’ room
her friends→ her friends’ parents
If the noun has an irregular plural form, child→ children children’s
4 add -s’ to the end of the noun: playground
person→ people people’s verdict
man→ men men’s ties
Diane and Derek’s parents
Add -'s after the last of two or more names if (they are siblings, common parents).
they have common possession David and Anna's house
5 (the house belongs to both of them.)
Josh and Derek’s cat
( the cat belongs to both of them
6 Add 's after each name to show individual Diane’s and Derek’s parents
possession (they are friends , no kinship)
Donald's and Maria's gardens
(each owns a garden)
For compound nouns add +'s to end of the My mother-in-Iaw's business
7 noun: Her sister-in law’s illness
THE USE of POSSESSIVE APOSTROPHE ( ’s/s’):
USE EXAMPLE
POSSESSION Jackie’s house
My father’s car
Her parents’ dog
CREATION/ Shakespeare’s sonnets
AGENCY/SOURCE Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers”
Plato’s Republic
HUMAN RELATIONSHIP
a. Kinship→ Robert’s daughter, Mary’s husband
b. Professional→ Jerry’s boss, Sue’s teacher
c. Other social→ Anna’s neighbor, Tom’s friend
TRAITS Susan’s anger
(Physical or other) George’s eyes
Carol’s kindness
ATTRIBUTION William’s decision
My father’s opinion
REPRESENTATION Alex’s portrait (a portrait of Alex)
EVALUATION The project’s importance
WHO’s pandemic precautions
NAMED AFTER St. Paul’s Cathedral
St. James’ Park
Turkey’s coastline
LOCATION/ England’s industrial cities
PHRASES OF PLACE At the dentist’s
The building’s exit
Tomorrow’s meeting
TIME & DISTANCE In ten years’ time
An hour’s wait
A mile’s drive
SUBJECT + The earth’s rotation (the earth rotates)
NOMINALIZED VERB
OBJECT + The planet’s discovery (somebody discovered the
NOMINALIZED VERB planet)
POSSESIVE CASE WITH “OF”
USE EXAMPLE
Use “of ” structure as an alternative to
possessive ’s to express
The other girl’s twin→ The twin of the other girl.
Relationships (with people in longer Penny’s parents’ house→ The house of Penny’s parents.
phrases) She is the sister of one of my colleagues
creation Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony→ The Fifth Symphony of
Beethoven
place Turkey’s big cities→ Big cities of Turkey
(Note: you can use either 's or of when you
talk about places or organisations: London's
monuments→ The monuments of London)
a / the / this / that Listen to this song of Martin 's. (one of Martin's songs)
noun + of + possessive pronoun/possessive A friend of mine (one of my friends)
case), That’s the boyfriend of Elisa.
When abstract or inanimate things are A pile of rubbish, not rubbish’s pile
considered, use “of”, do not use ’s The cost of living, not living’s cost
The windows of a house
The kitchen of the house
Use “of” in expression of position The door of the car