Grammar
Possessive nouns: show ownership with apostrophes and of
Whose key is this? The answer can be Mia's key, the guests' key, or the key of the storage room. Possessive forms make that relationship clear.
Use possessive nouns and of phrases to show a clear relationship between an owner and a thing.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
The children's coats are on the shelf. /ðə ˈtʃɪldrənz kəʊts ɑːr ɒn ðə ʃelf/
The short answer
For one owner, usually add apostrophe plus s: the student's notebook. For a regular plural owner ending in s, put the apostrophe after s: the students' notebooks. Use of when it sounds more natural or helps a reader follow a longer phrase: the door of the museum.
The neighbor's dog waits by the gate.
Why it works: One neighbor is connected with the dog, so neighbor's is a singular possessive noun.
5 more examples
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The chef's recipe uses fresh herbs.
One chef is connected with the recipe, so the singular noun takes apostrophe plus s.
Not this:The
chefs'recipes use fresh herbs. What changes: More than one chef has recipes. The regular plural already ends in s, so the apostrophe follows that s. -
The children's coats are on the shelf.
Children is an irregular plural without a final s, so it takes apostrophe plus s.
Not this:The
childrenput their coats on the shelf. What changes: This sentence simply names several children. It does not use a possessive noun. -
We met at the corner of the street.
An of phrase is a natural way to link a place and one of its parts.
Not this:We met at the
street'scorner. What changes: This form is grammatical, but the of phrase usually sounds more natural for this relationship. -
Tomorrow's interview starts at ten.
A time expression can be possessive when it is linked to an event.
Not this:The interview is
tomorrowat ten. What changes: Tomorrow is an adverb here, so it does not show possession. -
My sister-in-law's flight arrives late.
Add apostrophe plus s to the end of a singular compound noun.
Not this:My
sisters-in-law'sflights arrive late. What changes: The main noun, sisters, becomes plural. The apostrophe plus s still comes at the end of the whole compound.
Read the full guide
Start with the relationship, not the punctuation. Ask who or what the next noun belongs to, or what it is connected with. Then decide whether a short possessive noun or an of phrase gives the clearest answer.
Ask whose or what connection
A possessive noun answers a question such as whose bag, whose decision, or whose timetable. It can show ownership, but it can also show an ordinary connection. The team's office may be an office used by the team rather than a place the team legally owns.
The team's office is on the second floor.
The phrase identifies the office connected with one team.
The office is on the second floor.
Without the possessive noun, the reader does not know which office is meant.
Which phrase answers whose laptop: the designer laptop or the designer's laptop?
Use the designer's laptop. The apostrophe form shows the laptop is connected with one designer.
Use apostrophe plus s for one owner
With one person, animal, group, or thing, add apostrophe plus s. This also works with a singular noun that already ends in s when that is the style you are following. Put the possessive noun directly before the related noun when the phrase stays clear.
The driver's license is in the wallet.
One driver is connected with the license, so driver's has apostrophe plus s.
The cat's bowl is empty.
One cat is connected with the bowl.
Complete the phrase for one manager: the manager plan.
Write the manager's plan. The plan belongs to or was made by one manager.
Move the apostrophe for regular plural owners
Most plural nouns end in s. When a regular plural noun is possessive, add the apostrophe after its final s. This position tells the reader that several people or things share the relationship with the following noun.
The students' projects are on display.
Students is already plural. The apostrophe after s shows that the projects belong to several students.
The neighbors' garden party begins at noon.
Several neighbors are hosting or connected with the party.
Which form names several workers' schedules: workers schedules, worker's schedules, or workers' schedules?
Use workers' schedules. Workers is a regular plural, so the apostrophe follows the final s.
Keep apostrophe plus s with irregular plurals
Some plurals do not end in s, including children, people, women, and men. Treat these as plural nouns, but add apostrophe plus s because there is no final s after the word. Do not write childrens or womens when you mean possession.
The women's changing room is downstairs.
Women is plural but has no final s, so women's uses apostrophe plus s.
The people's votes were counted.
People is also an irregular plural, so people's marks a relationship with the votes.
Choose the correct phrase: the children toys or the children's toys.
Use the children's toys. Children is an irregular plural and needs apostrophe plus s.
Use of when it gives a clearer phrase
English can use an of phrase instead of a possessive noun. It is often more natural for parts of things, places, and abstract ideas. It also prevents a long owner phrase from becoming hard to read. Both forms may be grammatical, so choose the one that sounds clear in the sentence.
The handle of the suitcase is broken.
The phrase describes a part of an object, so of the suitcase is a natural choice.
The suitcase's handle is broken.
This form is also grammatical, but many speakers prefer the of phrase for an object and one of its parts.
Which phrase is usually clearer for a long owner: the report of the committee that met on Friday or the committee that met on Friday's report?
Use the report of the committee that met on Friday. The of phrase keeps the long owner phrase easier to follow.
Add the mark at the end of a compound noun
A compound noun contains more than one word but acts as one noun, such as mother-in-law, editor-in-chief, or bus stop. For a singular compound noun, put apostrophe plus s at the end of the whole compound. Make the main noun plural first if needed, then add the possessive ending at the end.
My mother-in-law's train was delayed.
Mother-in-law is one compound noun, so the possessive ending goes after law.
The editors-in-chief's statement was published online.
Editors is the main noun and becomes plural. The possessive ending appears at the end of the compound.
Where does the possessive ending go in one brother-in-law's car?
Put apostrophe plus s after law: brother-in-law's car. The whole expression is one noun.
Before you go
Remember this
Choose apostrophe plus s for one owner and for an irregular plural owner. Put the apostrophe after a regular plural s. Choose an of phrase when it is more natural with an object, a place, or a long owner phrase. Check the meaning first, then the form.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Possessive nouns: show ownership with apostrophes and of"
What is a possessive noun?
A possessive noun shows that a person, group, animal, place, or thing owns or is connected with another noun. In the chef's recipe, chef's identifies the person connected with the recipe.
The chef's recipe uses fresh herbs.
How do I make a singular noun possessive?
Usually add apostrophe plus s to a singular noun. The nurse's shift and the cat's bowl both refer to one owner or one thing with a connection to the next noun.
The chefs' recipes use fresh herbs.
How do I make a plural noun possessive?
For a regular plural ending in s, put the apostrophe after the final s, as in the visitors' badges. For an irregular plural without s, add apostrophe plus s, as in the children's coats.
The children's coats are on the shelf.
When should I use of instead of a possessive noun?
Use an of phrase when it is more natural or easier to read, especially for a part of an object, a place, or a long noun phrase. The roof of the station is a clear example.
The children put their coats on the shelf.
Where does the apostrophe go in a compound noun?
Put apostrophe plus s at the end of a singular compound noun, as in sister-in-law's flight. With a plural compound, make the main noun plural first and keep the possessive ending at the end.
We met at the corner of the street.