Possessive Case of Nouns

The possessive case of a noun is used to show ownership ( Jordan's car, my sister's house) or other close relationship ( the president's friends, the university's position).

Problems with possessives

Sometimes possessives can cause problems.

Do I add an ’s or just an apostrophe? Follow this rule: For singular nouns, add ’s, even if the noun ends in an ‐s or ‐z sound: dog's, house's, Wes's, Jesus's, Denver's, Keats's.

For most plural possessive nouns, add an apostrophe alone: several months' bills, many Romanians' apartments, the encyclopedias' differences.

If a plural noun doesn't end in ‐s, add ‐'s, just as you would with a singular noun: women's issues, mice's tails.

Switching to an of construction

When a possessive noun sounds awkward, reword to use an of construction.

This is a better way to indicate the relationship, especially when referring to an inanimate object: the top of the page instead of the page's top; the lawn of the building on the corner instead of the building on the corner's lawn; the main characters of Pride and Prejudice instead of Pride and Prejudice's main characters; the novels of Dickens instead of Dickens's novels.

Joint ownership

One last word about possessive nouns: When you are indicating joint ownership, use the possessive form in the final name only, such as Abbott and Costello's movies; Tom and Dawn's dinner party; Smith, Wilson, and Nelson's partnership.

Scholarships for Study in Africa » Scholarships for African Students » Undergraduate Scholarships » African Women Scholarships & Grants » Developing Countries Scholarships » Erasmus Mundus Scholarships for Developing Countries » Fellowship Programs » Funding Grants for NGOs » Government Scholarships » LLM Scholarships »

MBA Scholarships » PhD and Masters by Research Scholarships » Public Health Scholarships - MPH Scholarships » Refugees Scholarships » Research Grants » Scholarships and Grants

Scholarships in Australia » Scholarships in Austria » Scholarships in Belgium » Scholarships in Canada » Scholarships in Germany » Scholarships in Italy » Scholarships in Japan » Scholarships in Korea » Scholarships in Netherlands » Scholarships in Switzerland » Scholarships in UK » Scholarships in USA


What is an Operating System? » Computer Shortcut Keys and their Functions » Keyboard Function Keys

Short Stories for Kids - Moral Stories – English Short Stories for Children - Moral Stories for Kids - Stories for Kids - Funny Story for Kids - Scary Stories for Kids - Really Funny Short Stories - Bedtime Stories
Proverb Stories
Powerful Motivational Quotes for Students » Success Quotes » English Short Stories for Kids

Cabin Crew Jobs & Career Advice » Secretary Job Description » Receptionist Job Description » Top 100 Interview Questions and Answers » How to Prepare for an Interview » How to Write a CV » How to Choose a Career » Computer Shortcut Keys and their Functions

Short Stories for Kids - Moral Stories – English Short Stories for Children - Moral Stories for Kids - Stories for Kids - Funny Story for Kids - Scary Stories for Kids - Really Funny Short Stories - Bedtime Stories
Proverb Stories
Powerful Motivational Quotes for Students » Success Quotes » English Short Stories for Kids

Cabin Crew Jobs & Career Advice » Secretary Job Description » Receptionist Job Description » Top 100 Interview Questions and Answers » How to Prepare for an Interview