Possessive 's
1. What Is Possessive ’s?
We use possessive ’s to show who something belongs to.
It is commonly used to talk about:
- Ownership – Maria's bag
- Relationships – Adam's sister
The basic pattern is:
owner + 's + thing
- I like my brother's car.
- That is the teacher's desk.
- Sarah's phone is on the table.
2. Singular and Plural Owners
The rule changes depending on whether the owner is singular or plural, and whether the word ends in -s.
Singular owners
For one person, one animal, or one thing, add 's.
- the boy's hat
- the woman's bag
- John's jacket
- Lisa's shoes
The cat's toy is under the sofa.
For names ending in -s, you can write either 's or just ' — both are correct.
- James's room / James' room
- Lucas's dog / Lucas' dog
Chris's bicycle is new.
Regular plural owners
Most plural nouns end in -s (for example: girls, students, parents). For these words, add only an apostrophe (') after the -s.
- parents → parents'
- girls → girls'
- students → students'
The students' classroom is on the second floor.
The girls' bags are on the chairs.
Irregular plural owners
Some plural nouns do not end in -s.
For these words, add 's.
- children → children's
- men → men's
- women → women's
The children's playground is very big.
The men's shoes are by the door.
- Singular owner → 's → the teacher's desk
- Regular plural owner → ' → the teachers' room
- Irregular plural owner → 's → the children's toys
Quick check
Try one question now
Check your answer when you are ready.
3. Quick Summary
| Owner | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | add 's | Sarah's bag |
| Name ending in -s | add 's | James's room |
| Regular plural | add ' | students' books |
| Irregular plural | add 's | children's toys |
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Last updated August 23, 2026