Possessive Nouns

The following diagram gives some general rules for possessive nouns: singular nouns, plural nouns ending in “s”, plural nouns not ending in “s”, compound nouns, joint ownership and separate ownership. Scroll down the page for more examples and rules.

What are Possessive Nouns?

Possessive nouns are nouns that show “relationships”

1. Possessive nouns can be used to show ‘belonging to’ or ‘ownership’.

Examples:
This is Jill’s house. (Jill owns the house)
They were not able to find Paul’s shoes. (The shoes belong to Paul)
The cat’s dish is empty.
The lamp’s base is broken.

2. Possessive nouns can show where someone works or studies or spends time.

Examples:
I went to Jack’s school.
Put this box in Colin’s office.

3. Possessive nouns can indicate family relationships.

Examples:
Gordon’s mother is a dentist.
He went with Brian’s brother.

General Rules for Forming Possessive Nouns

Rule 1:
Add an apostrophe s (‘s) to form the possessive of singular nouns. This rule also applies to singular nouns ending in s.

Examples:

Singular Nouns	Possessive Nouns
lamp	lamp’s
egg	egg’s
branch	branch’s
mango	mango’s
Paul	Paul’s
Simon	Simon’s
goose	goose’s
woman	woman’s
leaf	leaf’s
lady	lady’s
bus	bus’s
class	class’s

Rule 2:
Add an apostrophe s (‘s) to form the possessive of plural nouns that do not end with s.

Examples:

Plural Nouns	Possessive Nouns
geese	geese’s
oxen	oxen’s
women	women’s
children	children’s

Rule 3:
Add an apostrophe (‘) to form the possessive of plural nouns that end with s.

Examples:

Plural Nouns	Possessive Nouns
lamps	lamps’
eggs	eggs’
branches	branches’
mangoes	mangoes’
leaves	leaves’
ladies	ladies’
buses	buses’
classes	classes’

Rule 4:
For the names of people that end with s, add an apostrophe s (‘s) or apostrophe (‘). (Both methods are acceptable.)

Examples:

Names of People that ends with s	Possessive Nouns
Phyllis	Phyllis’s or Phyllis’
Thomas	Thomas’s or Thomas’
Jones	Jones’s or Jones’

Rule 5:
Add an apostrophe s (‘s) or apostrophe (‘) to the end of a compound noun.

Examples:

Compound Noun	Possessive Noun
classroom	classroom’s
classrooms	classrooms’
fire engine	fire engine’s
fire engines	fire engines’
son-in-law	son-in-law’s
son-in-laws	son-in-laws’

Apostrophe Rules
Showing Possession
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Apostrophe S - Possessive Nouns in English
When to use an apostrophe in English

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Possessive Nouns.

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Learning Phonics

Short Vowels
Short A	Short E	Short I
Short O	Short U	Short Vowels

Long Vowels
Long A	Long E	Long I
Long O	Long U	Y (vowel)
Long Vowels	Short, Long Vowels	Rhyming Words

Short & Long Vowels
Short & Long A	Short & Long E	Short & Long I
Short & Long O	Short & Long U	Short I & Long E

Consonant Sounds
B Sound	Hard C	Soft C
D Sound	F Sound	Hard G
Soft G	H Sound	J Sound
K Sound	L Sound	M Sound
N Sound	P Sound	Q Sound
P Sound	S Sound	T Sound
V Sound	W Sound	X Sound
Y Sound	Z Sound	S & Z Sounds

The following printable worksheets can be used to practice writing CVC words while reinforcing reading.

Free Printable Worksheets (CVC Words)
Set 1 Match CVC Words Write CVC Words Match & Write Spell CVC Words Sort CVC Words	Set 2 Match CVC Words Write CVC Words Spell CVC Words Sort CVC Words Match Phrases
Set 3 Match CVC Words Write CVC Words Spell CVC Words Sort CVC Words Match Phrases	CVC, CCVC or CVCC Match Words Write Words

Consonant Digraphs
CH Sound	SH Sound	Soft TH
Hard TH	WH Sound	PH Sound
GH Sound	NG Sound	Consonant Digraphs

Free Printable Worksheets for Consonant Digraphs

These worksheets focus on the consonant digraphs: ch, sh, th, qu and ng.

Printable Worksheets (Consonant Digraphs)
Learning "ch"	Learning "sh"
Learning "th"	Learning "qu"
Learning "ng"

Free Printable Worksheets for Digraphs

Printable Worksheets (EE, OO, OU, OI, AW)
EE Words	OO Words
OI Words	AW Words

Consonant Blends
BL Sound	CL Sound	FL Sound
GL Sound	PL Sound	SL Sound
BR Sound	CR Sound	DR Sound
FR Sound	GR Sound	PR Sound
TR Sound	SK Sound	SN Sound
SP Sound	ST Sound
3-letter Blends Str, Spr, Scr, Str, Shr, Spl, Thr	Ending Blends Nd, Nt, Nk, St, Ft, Lp, Ld, Lt, Mp, Sk

Types of Verbs
Action Verbs
Is, Am, Are
Has, Have

Spelling Rules for Verbs
Adding -ed
Irregular Verbs
Adding -ing

Others
Rhyming Words
Sentence Types
Contractions
Possessive Nouns

Try the free Mathway calculator and problem solver below to practice various math topics. Try the given examples, or type in your own problem and check your answer with the step-by-step explanations.

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