Apostrophes for possession · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Apostrophes for possession

English · Spelling & Word Study · ages 6-8
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Where does the apostrophe go to show that something belongs to one person or thing?

    • Right before the s
    • Right after the s
    • At the start of the word

  2. Which word shows that the bone belongs to one dog?

    • dogs
    • dog's
    • do'gs

  3. The word 'cats' with no apostrophe can show that something belongs to one cat.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Which sentence uses the plural -s, not the possessive 's?

    • The girl's coat is blue.
    • The girls ran to the bus.
    • The dog's lead is long.

  5. Which sentence correctly shows that the ball belongs to Sam?

    • Sam's ball is red.
    • Sams ball is red.
    • Sams' ball is red.

  6. You hear this sentence: the bird's nest is empty. Which spelling is correct?

    • birds
    • bird's
    • birds'

  7. Which sentence means more than one horse is running, not that one horse owns something?

    • The horse's owner smiled.
    • The horse's tail swished.
    • The horses ran across the field.

  8. Lily wrote: 'The teachers desk is neat.' She means the desk belongs to one teacher. What is wrong with her sentence?

    • Missing apostrophe before the s
    • Missing a capital letter
    • Missing plural s
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Apostrophes for possession W1-mt_Z3G_97fnha-s1

  1. Right before the s · The apostrophe and the s go together, with the apostrophe first.
  2. dog's · The apostrophe goes right before the s: dog's. 'Do'gs' puts it in the wrong spot, and 'dogs' has no apostrophe at all.
  3. False · 'Cats' with no apostrophe just means more than one cat. It does not show that anything belongs to a cat.
  4. The girls ran to the bus. · 'Girls' with no apostrophe just means more than one girl, not that something belongs to a girl.
  5. Sam's ball is red. · Add the apostrophe then the s right after Sam's name: Sam's ball.
  6. bird's · One bird owns the nest, so the apostrophe goes before the s: bird's.
  7. The horses ran across the field. · 'Horses' with no apostrophe means many horses. The other two sentences show one horse owning something.
  8. Missing apostrophe before the s · Without the apostrophe, 'teachers' looks like more than one teacher instead of one teacher who owns a desk. It should be teacher's.
Worksheet · LightMySky