Possessive Nouns

Possessive Nouns

Believe it or not, in the English language showing the possessive form of nouns is rather straightforward. In most cases (with singular nouns) all that is needed is an apostrophe and the letter “s.’

However, there are a few more rules to follow so let us take a look.  First, the basics.

What Is A Possessive Noun?

Possessive nouns are nouns that show ownership or possession.  Normally these words would be a singular or plural noun, but in the possessive form they are used as adjectives to modify another a noun or pronoun.

  • Example:  The cat’s fur is a matted mess.

Here the word “cat’s” is a possessive noun.  It is letting you know that the noun “fur” belongs to the cat.  The cat owns the fur.

Examples of Possessive Nouns

Recognizing possessive nouns is easy because they always show an apostrophe.  Here are a few examples

  • Jennifer’s new handbag matches her shoes perfectly.
  • The gerbil’s cage needed cleaning.
  • The cars’ bumpers were locked in the traffic jam.
  • The girls’ toys were lined up neatly on the shelf.
  • The cat’s bowl is filled with cheeseburgers.
  • The dogs’ bowls are filled with hotdogs.

However, depending on if the noun is singular or possessive, you may need to add an apostrophe and the letter “s” or just an apostrophe.

 

Singular Possessive Nouns

Here are examples of how singular nouns take on the possessive form. It’s a simple matter of adding an apostrophe and the letter “s.”

  • Kate has a kitten.
  • It is Kate’s kitten. (Kate is the possessor of the kitten) Kentucky has coalmines.
  • They are Kentucky’s coalmines. (Kentucky is the possessor of the coalmines)

Possessives can show a family relationship, too. For example, “Michele Obama is the President’s wife.”

Names ending in the letter “s” are a little different.   You can either just add the apostrophe or you can add an apostrophe and “s.”  Adding the apostrophe and “s” is more common.

  • The party is at Charles’s house.
  • James’ wedding is next week.
  • This is Thomas’s coat.

Possessives can also refer to restaurants, stores, colleges, and churches.

  • Let’s go to Pasquale’s for lunch.
  • Is St. John’s a Catholic church?
  • Harvard’s attendance was down last year.

Nouns that identify job titles can show possession as well.

  • The doctor’s white coat was hanging in his office.
  • The salesperson’s pitch was very persuasive.

To make hyphenated nouns possessive add an apostrophe + “s.”

  • My father-in-law’s hamburger recipe is the best.

When two nouns are joined but the ownership is separate each noun shows possession with an apostrophe + “s.”

  • Mary’s and Michael’s coats are red and black. (Each owns his or her own coat and they are different coats.)

If two nouns are joined and the possession is the same, the last noun get’s the apostrophe + “s.”

  • Carol and John’s new car is the latest model.

Plural Possessive Nouns

In order to make a plural noun possessive that doesn’t end in the letter “s” all you have to do is add an apostrophe and an “s.”

  • Women = women’s
  • Mice = mice’s

If the plural noun ends in an “s” it becomes possessive by adding an apostrophe at the end.

  • Cars = cars’
  • Rivers = rivers’

One thing to keep in mind is possessive nouns are all about the apostrophes.  You’ll always need one…with or without the “s.”

Exercises

Possessive nouns show who or what owns something. Singular nouns are made possessive by adding an apostrophe and then an S.

Example: The boy´s kite flew high in the sky.

Plural possessives are formed by adding an apostrophe after the S.

Example: The boys´ kite flew high in the sky.

When a plural noun does not end with an s, an apostrophe and then an s are added.

Example: The men´s truck was dirty.

Direction: Rewrite the underlined nouns in the sentence below to make them possessive.

  1. The baby toy fell on the floor. _________________________________________
  1. Suzy doll had red hair. ______________________________________________
  1. Those boys shoes are in the locker. ____________________________________
  1. The women computer was broken. _____________________________________
  1. The dog ball went into the street. _______________________________________
  1. Ben mom brought his snack to school. ___________________________________
  1. The children toys were left out in the rain. ________________________________
  1. The girl milk spilled on the floor. ________________________________________
  1. Tony sister fell off the swing. _________________________________________
  1. The pan handle was very hot. _________________________________________

Tell whether each underlined possessive noun is singular or plural.

Examples: The penguins´ home is in Antarctica.       Plural

The tree´s leaves are yellow.                    Singular

  1. That book´s pages are wrinkled.                    ____________
  1. The girls´ ball went over the fence.                ____________

 

  1. My jacket´s button needs to be fixed.            ____________

 

  1. The horses´ riders were dressed in red.         ____________

 

  1. We can´t find our cat´s toy.                            ____________

 

  1. The author´s books were very popular.          ____________

 

  1. The artists´ paintings quickly sold out.            ____________

 

  1. Can you see the lion´s paws?             ____________

 

  1. The teachers´ copy machine never works.    ____________

 

  1. Can you come to my brother´s house?          ____________

 

Directions: Complete each sentence. Write the possessive form of the noun in parentheses () to show belonging.

 

Example:

 The       puppy´s toy squeaks.

(puppy)

  1. This is ______________________ homework.

(Matthew)

  1. The ______________ are black.

(boy)

  1. That __________________ feathers are yellow.

(bird)

  1. This is _______________ Jacket.

(Sarah)

  1. The ___________ toy is noisy.

(dog)

  1. My ____________ projects are fantastic.

(class)

  1. Are these ____________ shoes?

(grandma)

  1. The ___________ stall are clean now.

(horse)

  1. ___________ uniform needs to be washed.

(Bob)

  1. The __________ hat is blue.

(baby)

POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS IN SENTENCES

Write the correct form of the possessive noun in the blanks to correctly complete the sentences.

  1. None of the ______________ processors are fast enough for this game.

(computers)

  1. The lawyer proved that his _____________ rights were violated.

(client)

  1. The _______________ pages had been extensively marked up.

(textbook)

  1. The earthquake shattered the _______________ glass.

(windows)

  1. You also need to paint the ____________ frames.

(windows)

  1. The _____________ manuals can be found on the shelf.

(programs)

  1. The ____________ surface need to be cleaned with soap and water.

(desks)

  1. The _____________ lecture notes are available on line.

(professors)

  1. Be careful, the ___________edges are very sharp.

(knives)

  1. Our ________________ batteries only last for a couple of hours.

(cellphones)

  1. There is a telephone in my _____________ bedroom.

(parents)

  1. When the ____________ long hand reaches six, put down your pencils.

(clock)

  1. Shelby pulled back the drapes to let the ____________ light in.

(sun)

  1. All of the _________________ menus can be found in this book.

(restaurants)

  1. The ____________ bindings are starting to fall apart.

(books)

  1. The ______________ problems solutions are staring us in the face!

(problems)

POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

Possessive Pronouns show ownership – something that belongs to someone or something else.

Example:             The house belongs to me.           The house is mine.

Possessive pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, yours, theirs

Complete each sentence using the correct modifying possessive pronoun.

  1. The pencil belongs to the girl. It is ___________________.
  1. I ride a bike to school. The bike is ____________________.
  1. The lady wore a beautiful dress. The beautiful dress was ____________.
  1. The children played with the computer. It was _____________.
  1. You can choose any food to eat. The choice is _____________
  1. My friends love reading. It is a favourite pastime of ___________.
  1. My sister and I walk the dog because it is ____________.
  1. Her coat is prettier than mine. Her coat is blue; __________ is brown.
  1. Be more careful with John´s toys, because ___________are breakable.

 

On the lines below, write at least three sentences that use possessive pronouns correctly.

POSSESSIVE NOUNS IN SENTENCES

Write the correct form of possessive noun in the blanks to correctly complete the sentences.

  1. The ___________ (stair) steep angle made it difficult to climb.
  1. Those ___________ (women) cellphones are bothering the other people in the library.
  1. The ___________ (children) hands are very dirty.
  1. After a few days, the ___________ (babies) responsiveness to voices improved dramatically.
  1. _______________ (everyone) exams have now been graded.
  1. You can really taste the _____________ (tomatoes) rich flavour in this spaghetti sauce.
  1. I really want the __________ (shelves) colours to match the rest of the bedroom furniture.
  1. You can find the ___________ (men) room down the hall and to the left.
  1. The idea that you can catch a cold from cold weather is an old __________ (wives) tales.
  1. By the end of the experiment the ___________ (fungi) smell was unbearable.

POSSESSIVE NOUNS IN SENTENCES

 

Write the correct form of the possessive noun in the blanks to correctly complete the sentences.

  1. There are many rare animals living deep in ______________ (Africa) jungle.
  1. ___________ (Lauren) family visits Canada at least once a year.
  1. ___________ (Melissa) eyes are as blue as a summer sky.
  1. We had a great time at ____________ (Claire) birthday party.
  1. I had to laugh when I saw ___________ (Andrea) new haircut.
  1. The beauty of ______________ (California) sunset is awesome.
  1. We go out to eat at __________ (Zippy) restaurant on most Saturdays.
  1. We got back late because __________ (Jack) car had a flat tire.
  1. The next time you find yourself in ____________ (Chicago) financial district, give me a call.
  1. _____________ (Madison) room is much nicer than mine.
  1. _____________ (Colorado) mountains have excellent snow for skiing.

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