---
title: "Apostrophes for possession"
description: "Use the possessive apostrophe with singular nouns to show ownership (e.g., the girl's book, the dog's bone)"
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/apostrophes-for-possession-mt_Z3G_97fnha
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/apostrophes-for-possession-mt_Z3G_97fnha.md
retrieved: 2026-11-12
---

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# Apostrophes for possession

Use the possessive apostrophe with singular nouns to show ownership (e.g., the girl's book, the dog's bone)

Subject: English · Area: Spelling & Word Study · Ages 6 to 8
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/apostrophes-for-possession-mt_Z3G_97fnha

## Ready when they can

- 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

## Lesson: Apostrophes for possession

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.

*(drawing: See where the apostrophe goes: right before the s, between the word dog and the s.)*

**Example.** 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.

**Recap.** 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.*

## Practice

8 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [Regular Plural Nouns](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/regular-plural-nouns-mt_18qkgxr_-T)

## Optional connections

- [Spelling Contracted Forms](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/spelling-contracted-forms-mt_IntmJBg4VQ)
- [Basic Nouns & Verbs](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/basic-nouns-and-verbs-mt_yBJyCfhtem)

## Opens up

- [Plural vs Possessive in Nouns](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/plural-vs-possessive-in-nouns-mt_bn5ggh84qD)
- [Apostrophes for possession (age 7+)](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/apostrophes-for-possession-age-7-mt_HdI1y5KsBl)
- [Apostrophes: Contraction and Possession](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/apostrophes-contraction-and-possession-mt_mKAZTqItRG)