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Basic of English Grammar – Beginner
Lesson 3
Possessive Nouns
Possessive nouns are used to indicate ownership.
A noun names a person, place, thing, idea, quality or action. A possessive noun shows ownership by adding an apostrophe, an “s” or both. To make a single noun possessive, simply add an apostrophe and an “s.”
John’s book
Ben’s car
Grandma’s mirror
When a noun is plural and ends in s, just add an apostrophe (‘).
The kids’ toys
My parents’ house
The teachers’ lounge
If two people own one thing, add the apostrophe and s to the second person only.
John and Mary’s new house
David and Beth’s wedding
Tom and Julie’s car
If two people own separate things, add the apostrophe and s for each person.
Susan’s and Beth’s books
Jean’s and Matt’s pants
Luca’s and Leonardo’s offices
Possessive Nouns
A possessive noun is a special form of a noun that shows who owns or has something. It helps us understand ownership. You’ll often find a possessive noun right before another noun to show what is owned, like “Jeremy’s car.”
To create a possessive noun, we usually add an apostrophe and the letter “s” to the basic noun. For example, “boy” becomes “boy’s.” When dealing with plural nouns, we typically add just an apostrophe, not an extra “s.” So, “boys” becomes “boys’.”
It’s important to note that possessive nouns don’t always mean literal ownership. For instance, when we say “Alice’s brother,” it doesn’t mean that Alice owns her brother. It’s used to describe their relationship.
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