Possessive Nouns in English

Possessive nouns show ownership or a relationship between things/people.

1. How to Form Possessive Nouns

A. Singular Nouns

Add ’s

• the boy’s toy (the toy belongs to one boy)
• the dog’s bowl

Examples:

• "This is Maria’s book."
• "The teacher’s desk is clean."

B. Plural Nouns Ending in -s

Add only an apostrophe (’)

• the students’ classroom (many students share one classroom)
• the dogs’ leashes

Examples:

• "The girls’ soccer team won."
• "My parents’ car is new."

C. Irregular Plurals (Not Ending in -s)
Add ’s

• the children’s toys
• the women’s coats

Examples:

• "The men’s shoes are on sale."
• "The sheep’s wool is soft."

2. Special Cases

✔ Names Ending in -s (e.g., James, Charles)

• You can use ’s or just ’ (both are correct):
  • James’s car or James’ car

✔ Joint Ownership

• "John and Mary’s house" (They own the house together)
• "John’s and Mary’s cars" (They each have their own car)

✔ Time and Money

• "a week’s vacation"
• "five dollars’ worth"

3. Quick Summary Table

Type	Rule	Example
Singular	Add ’s	the cat’s tail
Plural (-s ending)	Add ’	the teachers’ lounge
Irregular Plural	Add ’s	the children’s room

Use PROMT.One Conjugator to check possessive form of English nouns.