Possessive Nouns | Basic English Grammar for Competitive Exams - Bank Exams PDF Download

Possessive Nouns

A possessive noun shows ownership or a relationship between one thing and another. It is formed by adding an apostrophe (’) and usually an "s" to a noun.

Examples:

• John’s book
• Kerry’s car
• Grandma’s mirror

Rules for Using Apostrophes in Possessive Nouns

When a plural noun ends in "s," add only an apostrophe (') to form the possessive.

Examples:

• The kids’ toys
• My parents’ house
• The teachers’ lounge

For joint ownership (when two or more people own one thing), add the apostrophe and "s" to the second person only.

Examples:

• John and Mary’s new house
• David and Sue’s wedding
• Tom and Doug’s car

For separate ownership (when each person owns their own thing), add the apostrophe and "s" for each person.

Examples:

• Susan’s and Beth’s books
• Jean’s and Dan’s pants
• Ben’s and Jim’s offices

Special Cases and Exceptions

• For singular nouns ending in "s" (e.g., "James," "Charles"), the possessive can be formed as either "James’s" or "James’," with "James’s" being more common.
• For irregular plural nouns that do not end in "s" (e.g., "children," "men," "women"), add an apostrophe and "s" (e.g., "children’s," "men’s").
• For classical or biblical names (e.g., "Jesus," "Moses"), only an apostrophe is often used (e.g., "Jesus’ disciples"), though "Jesus’s" is also acceptable in modern usage.

Practice Questions 

Q 1.Which of the following is not correct?
(i) Dr. Hunts has a new computer.
(ii) Dr. Hunts's new computer is working well.
(iii) Dr. Hunts' computer is new.

Ans: Both (ii) and (iii) are the correct answers. In your writing, you should be consistent. If you choose to leave the final 's' out, then leave it out throughout your writing.

Q2. Choose the correct possessive form:
"The cat belonging to the neighbors is very friendly."
(a) The neighbors' cat
(b) The neighbors's cat
(c) The neighbor's cat

Ans: (a) The neighbors' cat

Q3.  Which sentence uses the possessive form correctly for joint ownership?
(a) Sarah and Mike's project was a success.
(b) Sarah's and Mike's projects were successful.

Ans: (a) Sarah and Mike's project was a success.

Q 4.  Correct the following sentence: "The book of the students are on the table."

Ans: The students' book is on the table.

Q5. Which of these is incorrect?
(a) The children’s playground is safe.
(b) The childrens’ toys are scattered.

Ans: (b) The childrens’ toys are scattered.