A possessive apostrophe is a form of apostrophe that you use to show that something belongs to or is connected to something else. For example, Linda's bag or the Queen's hat.
An apostrophe can be used to show that one thing belongs to or is connected to something. This is called a possessive apostrophe or an apostrophe to show possession.
When children are learning how to apply possessive apostrophe rules, it can get a little unclear, but hopefully this guide will give you some great examples to use when explaining possessive apostrophes for your children.
Read the rules and possessive apostrophe examples to understand how this punctuation works.
Firstly, deciding on when to use a possessive or common apostrophe can vary. It depends on the type of noun you’re making into a possessive. Here is a general rule of thumb for singular nouns and plural nouns:
A great way to remember the possessive apostrophe rules is to remember these three things:
Even though these rules will show you how to use apostrophes correctly in most cases, there are still exceptions in the English language. If you encounter a singular noun that ends in s (class, Jess), you should use the plural noun rule and just add an apostrophe. For a plural noun that doesn’t end in s, use the singular noun rule and add an apostrophe and ‘s’.
The English language is made up of several source languages, from Germanic and Scandinavian languages to Latin, Spanish, and French. Due to this, there are often exceptions to common grammatical rules, sometimes it can feel like there are more exceptions to the rules than words that follow the rules.
Here is how to use apostrophes correctly in a few different commonly found exceptions:
Placing the apostrophe in words like 'children' can be difficult. It's a plural, but it doesn't look like one because it doesn't end in 's'.
To show possession, you add an apostrophe to the end of 'children' and then finish with an 's': children's. For example:
In some sentences, two or more subjects are shown to have possession of something. When do you use apostrophes, then?
Joint (or shared) possession is shown by a single apostrophe on the last subject.
Individual possession is shown by apostrophes on each subject.
We can make use of the apostrophe when referring to a person, writing a name, to indicate possession to that person. However, we can run into the same exceptions. Some names end in ‘s’.
For names that don't end with an 's', we would add an apostrophe and then an 's' afterwards. Here are some examples:
For names that already end with an 's', we just add an apostrophe to the end.
Even though they're proper nouns, they follow the same rules as regular nouns in this case.
Adding apostrophes to surnames can also be confusing, here's why:
Let's take a look at some examples.
When it comes to using apostrophes with contractions, it’s really all about placement. When you form contractions, you will always take out letters in order to combine the two words. In the placement of these lost letters, you should place an apostrophe.
For examples:
There is, however, one exception to this rule, which is otherwise universal. The exception applies to the word ‘won’t’ which is formed from the words ‘will + not’. In this case, a new word is formed by adding letters as well as omitting them.
When an apostrophe is added, it becomes part of the word it has been attached to. Therefore, it should never be separated from that word. This still applies when the apostrophe is surrounded by other punctuation.
For example:
When it comes to regular nouns, the plural form is made by adding either the letter s or es.
For example:
To show possession in the plural form, all you have to do is put an apostrophe after the s.
For example:
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when showing possession with plural nouns, is placing the apostrophe before the s.
For example:
This is incorrect because, by placing the apostrophe before the s, it implies that the bathroom belongs to one individual girl, as opposed to girls in general. Instead, it should be written as:
Another common mistake that happens when making a regular noun plural, is using an apostrophe + s to create the plural form.
For example:
Correct: Computers are very expensive nowadays.
Incorrect: Computer’s are very expensive nowadays.
Correct: Generally speaking, actresses are paid less than actors.
Incorrect: Generally speaking, actress’s are paid less than actors.
The only exception to this rule is that sometimes an apostrophe + s is added when creating the plural form of a word that is not usually a noun.
For example:
This is not a universal technique for creating the plural form of words that aren’t typically nouns, but some writers use it because they feel its adds clarity.
In the English language, there are a range of irregular nouns which, in the process of becoming plural, change their spelling completely.
For example:
In order to show possession with these irregular nouns, you must add an apostrophe + s after the irregular word.
For example:
Instead of this, people often put the apostrophe after the s.
For example:
Incorrect: On the school trip, all of the childrens’ hats were bright red to make them easy to identify.
Incorrect: The city centre was super busy on Saturday because of the womens’ march.
Things get more complicated when it comes to possessive plurals of proper names ending in s, ch, and z.
For examples:
Normally, when putting a proper noun, such as Smith in the plural possessive form, you just add an s + apostrophe; this would give you Smiths’. However, this isn’t the case for proper nouns ending in s, ch, and z.
If someone’s name ends in s, ch, z, in order to make it plural, you must add es.
For example:
Then, to show possession, you just add an apostrophe.
For examples:
This can often look strange, but it is technically correct.
In terms of showing possession with singular compound nouns, such as father-in-law, you must add an apostrophe + s at the end of the word.
For example:
To show possession in the plural form for a compound noun, all you have to do is form the plural first and then add an apostrophe + s.
For example:
Now that we know what possessive apostrophes are and how to use them, how do we bring them into the classroom?
In year 2, children will learn to 'spell by learning the possessive apostrophe (singular)'. They'll learn how to add the possessive apostrophe to singular nouns in order to show possession. It's a tricky spelling rule, which is why teaching is kept to singular nouns at this stage.
As they move into years 3 and 4, the national curriculum states that pupils will begin to demonstrate an ability to 'indicate possession by using the possessive apostrophe and plural nouns'.
By the end of year 4, children should have a solid understanding of how to use an apostrophe to show possession for both singular and plural nouns.
If you'd like support on teaching this topic, then you're in the right place. Twinkl has plenty of resources and guidance on how to introduce this new form of punctuation to your class. Find worksheets, PowerPoints, resource packs and display resources for your classroom.
This PowerPoint is a brilliant way to start off your lesson and introduce your pupils to the apostrophe for the first time. It includes a variety of activities for children to complete, so it'll keep them engaged throughout, too.
See what children have learnt with this worksheet pack. Children have to write sentences that include a singular noun that needs an apostrophe. The worksheets are available differentiated, so you can tailor them to your class too.
Who doesn't love a quiz? This one is a fun and interactive way for children to practise their use of possessive apostrophes. Play with the whole class and see how many they can get right.
Check out this fantastic PowerPoint. A great tool for introducing this topic to the whole class, it covers singular and plural possessive apostrophe use and has questions for children to answer.
Don't have much time to plan your lesson? That's where this teaching pack comes in. It includes an informative PowerPoint, as well as a range of worksheets.
Test what your pupils have learnt so far with this activity. They should add a possessive apostrophe to a mix of singular and plural nouns.