Apostrophes for possession (age 7+)
Use the possessive apostrophe accurately with both regular and irregular plural nouns (e.g., the girls' bags, the children's toys), distinguishing singular from plural possession
What a learner can do afterwards
- Place the apostrophe correctly in plural possessives: 'the dogs' kennel' vs 'the dog's kennel'
- Write possessive forms of irregular plurals correctly (e.g. 'children's', 'women's', 'mice's')
- Distinguish singular possession (the boy's hat) from plural possession (the boys' hats) in dictated sentences
The lesson
You already know how to show one owner, like the dog's bone. Now let's look at what happens when a whole group owns something.
One girl: the girl's bag. Many girls: the girls' bags. The apostrophe hops to the other side of the s when the owners are a group.
Regular plurals already end in s, like dogs or teachers. Just add an apostrophe after that s: the dogs' kennel, the teachers' cars.
Irregular plurals like children, women, and mice do not end in s. Treat them like a single owner and add apostrophe s: the children's coats, the women's shoes, the mice's cheese.
Check the plural word first. If it already ends in s, add just an apostrophe. If it does not, add apostrophe s.
Plurals ending in s take just an apostrophe; irregular plurals take apostrophe s, the same as one owner.
Watch it
Where it sits
This opens up
Nothing builds on it yet.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.