Understanding the Possessive Case

What Is the Possessive Case?

The possessive case shows ownership or a relationship between nouns. In English, it’s usually formed by adding an apostrophe + s ('s) or just an apostrophe (') to a noun.

Basic Rules

• Singular nouns: Add 's (e.g., dog’s tail)
• Plural nouns ending in s: Add only an apostrophe (e.g., dogs’ tails)
• Plural nouns not ending in s: Add 's (e.g., children’s toys)
• Joint possession: Only the last noun takes the possessive (e.g., Tom and Jerry’s apartment)
• Individual possession: Each noun is possessive (e.g., Tom’s and Jerry’s cars)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Its vs. It’s: “Its” is possessive; “it’s” means “it is” or “it has.”

❌ Don’t use apostrophes for simple plurals (e.g., “banana’s for sale” → should be “bananas for sale”).

Interactive Practice

Convert the following phrase into the correct possessive form:

"The car belonging to James"