In the possesive case , a noun or pronoun changes its form to show that it owns or is closely related to something else. Usually, nouns become possessive by adding a combination of an apostrophe and the letter "s."
You can form the possessive case of a singular noun that does not end in "s" by adding an apostrophe and "s," as in the following sentences:
- The red suitcase is Cassandra's .
- The only luggage that was lost was the prime minister's .
- The exhausted recruits were woken before dawn by the drill sergeant's screams.
- The miner's face was covered in coal dust.
- You can form the possessive case of a singular noun that ends in "s" by adding an apostrophe alone or by adding an apostrophe and "s," as in the following examples:
- The bus's seats are very uncomfortable.
- The bus' seats are very uncomfortable.
- The film crew accidentally crushed the platypus's eggs.
- The film crew accidentally crushed the platypus' eggs.
- Felicia Hemans's poetry was once more popular than Lord Byron's.
- Felicia Hemans' poetry was once more popular than Lord Byron's.
You can form the possessive case of a plural noun that does not end in "s" by adding an apostrophe and a "s," as in the following examples:
- The children's mittens were scattered on the floor of the porch.
- The sheep's pen was mucked out every day.
- Since we have a complex appeal process, a jury's verdict is not always final.
- The men's hockey team will be playing as soon as the women's team is finished.
- The hunter followed the moose's trail all morning but lost it in the afternoon.
You can form the possessive case of a plural noun that does end in "s" by adding an apostrophe:
- The concert was interrupted by the dogs' barking, the ducks' quacking, and the babies' squalling.
- The janitors' room is downstairs and to the left.
- My uncle spent many hours trying to locate the squirrels' nest.
- The archivist quickly finished repairing the diaries' bindings.
- Religion is usually the subject of the roommates' many late night debates.
