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
The lesson
You already know the apostrophe from words like don't. It has another job too: showing that something belongs to someone. Add an apostrophe and an s to show that one person or one thing owns something. The dog's bone means the bone belongs to the dog.
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.
Don't mix up plural -s with possessive 's. Two cats just means more than one cat, no apostrophe needed. The cat's tail means one cat owns a tail, so it needs the apostrophe. Ask yourself: does something belong to someone here?
To show that one person or thing owns something, put an apostrophe right before the s.
Watch it
Where it sits
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.