Nouns Indicating Ownership

This entry describes a type of noun that demonstrates ownership or belonging. These nouns show that something or someone belongs to someone or something else.

Formation of Indicating Ownership

Singular Nouns

For most singular nouns, ownership is shown by adding an apostrophe and the letter "s" ('s) to the end of the noun. For example: the student's book, Mary's car, the dog's bone.

Plural Nouns Ending in "s"

For plural nouns that already end in "s", indicate ownership by adding only an apostrophe (') after the "s". For example: the students' books, the Joneses' house, the dogs' bones.

Plural Nouns Not Ending in "s"

For plural nouns that do not end in "s", add an apostrophe and "s" ('s) to show ownership, just as with singular nouns. For example: the children's toys, the people's choice, the women's rights.

Joint Ownership

To indicate joint ownership by two or more nouns, add the 's only to the last noun. For instance, "John and Mary's house" implies they own the house together.

Separate Ownership

To indicate separate ownership, each noun has an 's. For example, "John's and Mary's cars" means they each own a car.

Use with Time, Distance, and Amount

These are also used to show a relationship with units of time, distance, or amounts. Examples include: an hour's delay, a mile's distance, a dollar's worth.

Avoiding Ambiguity

Careful consideration should be given to placement, to prevent misinterpretation or confusion regarding the noun to which the possession is being linked.

Examples

• The cat's meow.
• My brother's friend.
• A year's salary.
• The company's profits.
• The Earth's atmosphere.