An apostrophe is a symbol that is used to indicate when something is possessive, to indicate omissions in contractions, and to create certain plurals. The symbol for an apostrophe is one single quotation mark: '. In this blog entry, we'll discuss using apostrophes to indicate possession.
Singular Nouns
An apostrophe can be added to the end of a noun to make the word possessive, but there are rules governing how to include the symbol.
If the word is a singular noun and does not end with an s, you add an 's at the end to make it possessive. Examples:
Debby's bike. (The bike belongs to Debby.)
Brenda's horse. (The horse belongs to Brenda.)
John's cat. (The cat belongs to John.)
The dog's bowl. (The bowl belongs to the dog.)
If a word is singular and ends in s, you add an 's at the end - unless it would sound weird to do so. Examples:
Ross's books. (The books belong to Ross.)
Doris's car. (The car belongs to Doris.)
However, sometimes it sounds odd to add the 's to a singular word that already ends in an s. If it sounds weird to add the 's, then only add the ' to indicate possession. Example:
Jesus' toothbrush. (The toothbrush belongs to Jesus.)
Plural Nouns
If the word is a plural noun that does not end with an s, you add an 's at the end. Example:
The children's toys. (The toys belong to the children.)
The women's soups. (The soups belong to the women.)
The men's dolls. (The dolls belong to the men.)
If the word is plural and ends in s, then you only add an apostrophe. Examples:
The girls' skateboards. (The skateboards belong to the girls.)
The boys' oranges. (The oranges belong to the boys.)
The dogs' bowls. (The bowls belong to the dogs.)
Compound Noun Phrases as Possessives
Apostrophes are only added to the last word of a compound noun phrase. For example, if the noun is three words, like "secretary of state," then you would only add the 's to the word 'state.' Examples:
Secretary of state's table. (The table belongs to the secretary of state.)
Brother-in-law's tractor. (The tractor belongs to the brother-in-law.)
The bus driver's egg. (The egg belongs to the bus driver.)
Apostrophes with Two or More People
If two or more people own something together, then place the ' or 's at the end of the last name in the list. Examples:
Joy and Emma's store. (Joy and Emma own the store together.)
Rebecca and Dave's tissue box. (Rebecca and Dave own the tissue box together.)
If two or more people own something separately, then each name receives an ' or an 's. Examples:
Sarah's and Greg's boats. (Sarah has a boat and Greg has a boat.)
Luca's and Jason's lawnmowers. (Luca has a lawnmower and Jason has a lawnmower.)
Conclusion
We hope this post helps you understand when and how to use apostrophes to indicate possession. If you'd like someone to edit your work for punctuation - like apostrophes - we do that! Contact us using the button below for more information.
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