Singular Possessive → 's & Plural Possessive → s'

🔹 Singular Possessive → 's Used when only one person or thing owns something. 🔹 Plural Possessive → s' Used when more than one person or thing owns something. | Singular (one) | Plural (more than one) | | ----------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | | The cat's tail is long. *(One cat)* | The cats' tails are long. *(Many cats)* | | The boy's bike is red. *(One boy)* | The boys' bikes are red. *(Many boys)* | | That is the woman's coat. *(One woman)* | Those are the women's coats. *(Irregular plural — still 's)* | | This is the teacher's desk. *(One teacher)* | These are the teachers' desks. *(Many teachers)* | | I fixed my friend's car. *(One friend)* | I fixed my friends' cars. *(Several friends)* | | The child's toy is broken. *(One child)* | The children's toys are broken. *(Irregular plural — 's)* | Tips to Remember: Add 's when the noun does not end in "s" and is singular. Add only ' (after the s) if the noun is plural and ends in s. Some irregular plurals (like children, men, women) still take 's. --- Practice Time! Try to guess if these are singular or plural possessive: The dogs' owner is kind. The girl's dress is blue. The students' books are on the desk. The man's shoes are new. The doctors' meeting was cancelled. -- If a singular noun ends in "s", you usually still add 's to show possession. | Singular noun | Possessive form | Example | | ------------- | --------------- | --------------------------------- | | James | James's | This is James's car. | | Boss | Boss's | That is the boss's office. | | Class | Class's | The class's schedule changed. | -- BUT… there is some flexibility In formal writing or older style, some people only add an apostrophe (no extra s) to avoid awkwardness: James' book (instead of James's book) The boss' car (instead of boss's car) ✅ Both are correct, but modern English (especially in the U.S. and IELTS style) usually prefers 's, even if the noun ends in "s". -- | Situation | Rule | Example | | -------------------------------- | ---------------------- | ----------------------------- | | Singular (ends in other letters) | Add 's | The cat's toy | | Singular (ends in s) | Add 's (recommended) | The class's rules | | Plural (ends in s) | Add only ' | The teachers' lounge | | Irregular plural | Add 's | The children's playground | - Want to Try a Quiz? Tell me if this noun should be: James / dogs / boss / women / students _______ book is on the table. The _______ meeting is tomorrow. The _______ toys were everywhere. That is _______ idea, not yours. I borrowed the _______ notes.