How to Use the Possessive ‘S Correctly
How to use the Possessive ‘S correctly
We use apostrophes before or after -s to show possession in English.
1. Singular
Add ‘s to the noun.
- Sean‘s brother Jake plays football.
- A woman‘s hat.
2. Plural
Add the apostrophe ‘ to regular plural forms:
- The boys’ room is very nice.
- The Browns’ house is large.
3. Irregular Plural
Add ‘s to irregular plural forms:
- The children‘s toys are on the floor.
- Men‘s toilets are on the first floor.
If there are multiple nouns and they share possession, add ‘s only to the last noun:
- Sean and Jake‘s mother is an accountant.
If there are multiple nouns and they do not share possession, add ‘s to both nouns.
- Sean‘s and Jake‘s mothers are accountants.
4. Singular names ending in -s
The style used in many newspapers is to add a -‘s to common nouns ending in s, but only a stand-alone apostrophe to proper nouns ending in s.
Examples:
- The boss‘s wife
- Mr. Jones’ golf clubs
- The class‘s timetable
- Charles’ house
The are no agreed rules on this so the main thing is to be consistent in how you do this.