Apostrophes for possession
Use the possessive apostrophe with singular nouns to show ownership (e.g., the girl's book, the dog's bone)
What a learner can do afterwards
- Write 'the cat's tail' to show the tail belongs to the cat
- Distinguish plural -s ('the cats ran') from possessive 's ('the cat's bed') in writing
- Add a possessive apostrophe to a singular noun in a dictated sentence
1 · Read
An apostrophe is the small mark in dog's. To show that something belongs to one person, animal or thing, add an apostrophe and s after the whole noun or name. The dog's bone means the bone belongs to one dog. Here we use nouns such as dog and names such as Mia.
Mia has a book. Since one person, Mia, owns it, we write Mia's book. The apostrophe and s show that the book belongs to her.
A plural noun names more than one. In 'The cats ran', cats means more than one cat, so it has no apostrophe. In 'The cat's tail', cat's shows that the tail belongs to one cat. Check the meaning before choosing the spelling. If someone writes 'The cat's ran' for several cats, remove the apostrophe.
For a noun naming one owner, add an apostrophe and s after the whole noun. A plural such as cats needs no apostrophe just to mean more than one.
The lesson, practice questions and flashcards were written for this dataset.
The five readings about possessive spelling and its were written for this dataset.
More to read
Whose things are these?
A rabbit has a bowl. To write whose bowl it is, begin with rabbit. Add an apostrophe and s: the rabbit's bowl.
A coat belongs to Nia. Keep her whole name, then add apostrophe s: Nia's coat.
Read each phrase back with belongs to. The rabbit's bowl is the bowl that belongs to the rabbit. Nia's coat is the coat that belongs to Nia.
Find the missing mark
One aunt has a cup. Someone labels it 'the aunts cup'.
Find the word for the owner: aunt. The added s is already there. The apostrophe is missing.
Put the mark after the whole word aunt and before the added s: the aunt's cup.
Check the complete phrase. It now tells the reader that the cup belongs to one aunt.
Choose the meaning first
Read 'The rabbits hop.' Rabbits names more than one rabbit. It needs no apostrophe just to show that number.
Now read 'The rabbit's bowl is full.' The bowl belongs to one rabbit. Rabbit's needs an apostrophe before the added s.
Rabbits and rabbit's sound alike. Listening to that word alone cannot tell you which spelling to use. Find out whether the sentence means several rabbits or something belonging to one rabbit.
A noun that already ends in s
One dress has a pocket. Dress ends in s, but it names one thing.
Keep every letter in dress. Add an apostrophe and another s: the dress's pocket.
The first s letters belong to dress. The final s is part of the ending you added. The apostrophe goes between the whole noun and that added s.
You have kept the owner word complete.
Its has a different spelling rule
The word its can show that something belongs to it. It has no apostrophe: 'The rabbit moved its bowl.'
It's is a shortened form of it is or it has. 'It's asleep' means 'It is asleep'. 'It's been fed' means 'It has been fed'.
To check it's, try both full forms in the sentence. For 'The rabbit moved its bowl', neither it is bowl nor it has bowl fits. The sentence shows belonging, so use its.
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