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🐝 3rd to 5th · Grammar & Spelling

What is a possessive noun?

A possessive noun shows who or what owns something, and most are made by adding an apostrophe and s.

  • L.2.2c
  • L.3.2d

Examples

  • That is Maya's hat.
  • The dog's bowl is empty.
  • The teachers' room is upstairs.

Tip: Write the owner first, then the apostrophe, then s if the owner does not already end in a plural s.

Try three

  1. Make it possessive: the bike that belongs to Tom

    Show the answer and why
    Answer: Tom's bike
    Add an apostrophe and s to the owner.

  2. One bird owns a nest. Which is right: the birds nest or the bird's nest?

    Show the answer and why
    Answer: the bird's nest
    The nest belongs to one bird, so the apostrophe comes before the s.

  3. Two girls share a room. Which is right: the girl's room or the girls' room?

    Show the answer and why
    Answer: the girls' room
    For a plural that ends in s, the apostrophe goes after the s.

Practise it

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