Apostrophes for possession (age 7+)

An apostrophe is a little mark that looks like a comma up high. It can show that something belongs to someone.

When one person or thing owns something, add an apostrophe and the letter s. The hat that belongs to Sam is Sam's hat. The tail that belongs to the dog is the dog's tail. This works even when the name already ends in s.

When more than one person or thing owns something, first make the word plural. Most words just add s, like girl becomes girls. Then add only an apostrophe at the end. So the bags that belong to the girls are the girls' bags.

Some plural words do not end in s. The plural of child is children. The plural of mouse is mice. For these words, add an apostrophe and an s, just like you do for one owner. The toys that belong to the children are the children's toys. The cheese that belongs to the mice is the mice's cheese.

Ask yourself: who owns it? Is there one owner or more than one? One girl's bag. Two girls' bags. One child's toy. Two children's toys. The apostrophe shows who the owner is.

A possessive noun shows that something belongs to someone or something. Instead of saying the locker that belongs to Yosef, you can say Yosef's locker. The apostrophe and the s do the job of the long phrase.

For one owner, add an apostrophe and an s to the end of the word. The collars that belong to the dog become the dog's collars. This rule works even if the word already ends in an s.

For more than one owner, first make the noun plural. Then put the apostrophe after the s that makes it plural. The collars that belong to two dogs become the dogs' collars.

Watch out for words with irregular plurals. Child becomes children, and mouse becomes mice. These plurals do not end in s. For them, add an apostrophe and an s: the children's game, the mice's hiding spot. They follow the same rule as one owner because their plural has no s on the end.

Try it yourself. Whose bike? One girl: the girl's bike. Two girls: the girls' bikes. Two children: the children's bikes.

A noun is a word for a person, place, or thing. When there is more than one, the noun becomes plural.

Most nouns are regular plurals. You just add s, es, or change y to ies. One pancake, two pancakes. One bus, two buses. One story, two stories.

Some nouns are irregular. They change in their own special way instead of just adding s. These are the ones you need to know for possessive apostrophes.

Some change their vowel sound. Foot becomes feet. Tooth becomes teeth. Mouse becomes mice. Woman becomes women. Goose becomes geese.

Some add en. Child becomes children. Ox becomes oxen.

Some do not change at all. One sheep, two sheep. One deer, two deer.

Why does this matter? Because the plural form tells you where the apostrophe goes. If the plural ends in s, like girls, you add only an apostrophe: the girls' bags. If the plural does not end in s, like children, you add an apostrophe and an s: the children's toys.

What happens when something belongs to more than one person? You still use an apostrophe, but you have to think about the plural first.

First say the plural of the owner out loud. One girl, two girls. The plural girls ends in s. So you add only an apostrophe: the girls' coats. The apostrophe goes after the s.

Now try an irregular one. One child, two children. The plural children does not end in s. So you add an apostrophe and an s, the same as for one owner: the children's coats.

Look at the very end of the owner's word. If it already ends in s, just add the apostrophe. If it does not end in s, add an apostrophe and an s.

Try these. The hats that belong to the boys: the boys' hats. The den that belongs to the foxes: the foxes' den. The lunch that belongs to the women: the women's lunch. The nest that belongs to the mice: the mice's nest.

When you are not sure, ask two questions. Who owns it? Does the owner's word end in s? Those two answers tell you exactly where the apostrophe goes.

English has seven special nouns that change in a strange way when there is more than one. People call them the mutant plurals, because they do not just add s like other words.

Here they are. One foot, two feet. One woman, two women. One man, two men. One tooth, two teeth. One goose, two geese. One mouse, two mice. One louse, two lice.

They change the vowel sound inside the word instead of adding letters at the end. That is why the plural of mouse is mice, not mouses.

These words matter a lot for apostrophes. Remember the rule: if the plural ends in s, add only an apostrophe. If it does not end in s, add an apostrophe and an s.

The mutant plurals never end in s. So you always add an apostrophe and an s to them. The holes that belong to the mice are the mice's holes. The boots that belong to the women are the women's boots. The teeth of the geese? The geese's teeth, if geese had teeth to count.