Possessive Nouns Explained

What Are Possessive Nouns?

Possessive nouns show ownership or a relationship of belonging between one thing and another.

Basic Rules for Forming Possessive Nouns

1. Singular nouns: Add 's
   Example: dog → dog's, teacher → teacher's
2. Plural nouns ending in "s": Add only an apostrophe (')
   Example: dogs → dogs', students → students'
3. Plural nouns NOT ending in "s": Add 's
   Example: children → children's, men → men's
4. Joint possession: Only the last noun takes the possessive form
   Example: Tom and Jerry's apartment (they share it)
5. Individual possession: Make all nouns possessive
   Example: Tom's and Jerry's cars (each has their own car)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Don’t confuse its (possessive) with it’s (contraction of "it is")
• Avoid adding an apostrophe to make a word plural (e.g., "banana's" is incorrect for multiple bananas)
• Be careful with names ending in "s" — both James’s and James’ are acceptable, but be consistent