Possessive 's
Add 's to a singular noun to show possession (Tom's car); for a plural noun that already ends in -s, add only an apostrophe (the boys' room); for an irregular plural, add 's (the children's toys).
Formula
Examples
Usage
- •Show possession (Tom's bag = the bag belongs to Tom)
- •Show relationships (my sister's husband)
- •Used mainly with people, animals, time expressions, and places
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Try 5 cards free — no signup →When do you use 's and when do you use just an apostrophe?
For a singular noun, add 's: "Tom's car," "the dog's tail." For a plural noun that already ends in -s, add only an apostrophe, with no extra s: "the boys' room," "the teachers' meeting."
Irregular plurals (ones that don't end in -s, like children or men) still add 's, just like singular nouns: "the children's toys," "the women's department."
It's or its — what's the difference?
"It's" (with an apostrophe) is always a contraction of "it is" or "it has": "It's raining." "Its" (no apostrophe) is the possessive form: "The dog wagged its tail." This is the one place where the usual possessive 's rule doesn't apply — its never takes an apostrophe.
A useful check: if you can replace the word with "it is" and the sentence still makes sense, use "it's". Otherwise, use "its".
Comparison Table
| Form | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular noun | + 's | Tom's car |
| Plural noun ending in -s | + ' only (no extra s) | the boys' room |
| Irregular plural | + 's | the children's toys |
| Its (possessive) vs it's (it is) | its = possessive, no apostrophe | the dog wagged its tail |
Save this comparison chart
More Examples
My brother's birthday is in May.
When one person has something
The teachers' meeting is on Friday.
Plural noun ending in -s: apostrophe ONLY
The women's department is upstairs.
Irregular plural: -'s
Today's newspaper is on the table.
's with time expressions
James's book / James' book
Names ending in -s: both forms accepted
Common Mistakes
- ✗Confusing it's (it is) with its (possessive): "It's tail" should be "Its tail" (no apostrophe for possessive its).
- ✗Using 's for plurals (greengrocer's apostrophe): "Apple's for sale" should be "Apples for sale".
- ✗Putting apostrophe in wrong place for plurals: "The boy's room" (1 boy) vs "The boys' room" (multiple).
Tips
- ✓'s with people/animals: Tom's book ✓. For objects, prefer "of": "the leg of the table" sounds more natural than "the table's leg".
- ✓Position of 's changes meaning: "my friend's house" (1 friend) vs "my friends' house" (multiple friends).
Advanced Notes
The possessive 's is more versatile than "belonging to" — it covers relationships ("my doctor's advice"), origin ("yesterday's news"), measurement ("a moment's peace"), and characteristics ("the film's ending"). It's primarily used with animate nouns (people, animals) and time expressions; for inanimate objects, "of" is often preferred ("the back of the car" not "the car's back"), though this rule is loosening in modern usage. The misplaced apostrophe in plurals ("apple's", "photo's") is called the greengrocer's apostrophe and is widespread even among native writers.
FAQ
Is it "the boy's room" or "the boys' room"?
It depends on how many boys: "the boy's room" means one boy owns the room. "The boys' room" means multiple boys share it — a plural noun already ending in -s just adds an apostrophe, with no extra s.
Why is "It's tail" wrong for a possessive?
"It's" always means "it is" or "it has" — it's a contraction, not a possessive. The possessive form of "it" is "its", with no apostrophe: "Its tail is wagging."
Why is "Apple's for sale" wrong?
That's the "greengrocer's apostrophe" — using 's to make a plural instead of showing possession. Plurals never take an apostrophe: "Apples for sale," not "Apple's for sale." The apostrophe + s is reserved for ownership, like "the apple's skin" (the skin belonging to the apple).
How do you make an irregular plural possessive, like children or men?
Irregular plurals (children, men, women, people) don't end in -s, so they follow the same rule as singular nouns and add 's: "the children's toys," "the men's shoes."
Do you use 's for objects, like "the table's leg"?
It's possible, but "of" often sounds more natural for objects: "the leg of the table" rather than "the table's leg". The possessive 's is most natural with people, animals, and time expressions ("Tom's book," "today's newspaper").
Practice
- 1.This is bag.
- 2.The meeting is on Friday.
- 3.The toys are on the floor.
- 4.The dog wagged tail.
- 5. raining outside.
Compare With
Other A2 Topics
Present Continuous
Used for actions happening now or temporary situations
Past Continuous
Used for interrupted past actions or background description
Future with Going to
Used for decided plans and evidence-based predictions
Comparatives and Superlatives
Used for comparing qualities between items or identifying the extreme
Prepositions of Time and Place
Used for time and location relationships using in, on, at
Can / Could
Expresses ability, possibility, or polite requests
Adverbs of Frequency
Used for stating how often something happens
Quantifiers: Some, Any, Much, Many, A Lot Of
Used for unspecified quantities in positive, negative, and question contexts
Basic Linkers: And, But, Or, Because, So
Used for connecting ideas within or between sentences
Object Pronouns: Me, You, Him, Her, It, Us, Them
Used for replacing nouns as the object of a verb or preposition
Countable and Uncountable Nouns
Countable nouns can be counted (a book, two books); uncountable nouns cannot (water, money).
Too and Enough
Say when something is more than needed (too) or exactly enough (enough).
Adverbs of Manner
Adverbs of manner describe how an action happens.