Possessives-’s

To show possession in English the structure we use is:

1. add 's to a singular noun or name. For example: The girl’s house. (One girl)

2. add  ' to a plural noun. For example: The girls’ house. (two or more girls)

The –‘s structure does not change if there is more than one house. The structure is influenced by the possessor and not the possessed.

 

One Person

More than one person

One House

The girl’s house

The girls’ house

More than one house

The girl’s houses

The girls’ houses

We very often use possessive 's with names. When a name ends in s, we usually treat it like any other singular noun, and add 's:

For example: This is Charles's chair.

But it is possible (especially with older, classical names) to just add '  :

For example: What was Dickens' first book?

We do not use the possessive ‘s structure when talking about:

1. Things: The window of the house   NOT The house’s window.

2. Abstract Concepts: The meaning of life  NOT The life’s meaning.

Click on this link to learn about Possession

Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives