NOUNS – POSSESSIVE FORMS

SINGULAR NOUNS – POSSESSIVE FORM

NOUNS NOT ENDING IN S OR THE SOUND OF S

Add an apostrophe and s.

a person’s name

Mr. Hill’s statement

an attorney’s fee

NOUNS ENDING IN S OR THE SOUND OF S

Add an apostrophe and s.

my niece’s home

Mr. Burns’s title

However, if the addition of an extra syllable would make the possessive difficult to pronounce or sound awkward, add only an apostrophe.

Mr. Phillips’ application

Mr. Rodriguez’ comments

NOUNS ENDING IN S OR THE SOUND OF S

Always be sure to place the apostrophe after the final letter of the singular noun. If the singular nouns are Jones and Burns, for example, the singular possessives would be as follows:

Jones’s ( NOT: Jone’s)Burns’s (NOT: Burn’s)

NAMES FOLLOWED BY SENIORITY OR SIMILAR TERMS

Write the term – NOT the name – in possessive form.

L.C. Houston, Sr.’s contractCatherine Slaterry, Ph. D.’s

research

NAMES FOLLOWED BY APPOSITIVES

Write the appositive – NOT the noun preceding it – in possessive form.

Where is Frederick, the well- known furrier’s, newest

shop?

TWO OR MORE NOUNS – SEPARATE OWNERSHIP

Write each noun in possessive form.Some of the electrician’s

and the carpenter’s tools were on the windowsill.

TWO OR MORE NOUNS – JOINT OWNERSHIP

Write ONLY the last noun in possessive form.

Cody and Josh’s agency handles most of our advertising.

PLURAL NOUNS – POSSESSIVE FORM

1. Change the singular noun to its plural form.

Singular: woman childPlural: women

children

STEPS:

2. Look at the last letter of the plural noun.3. If the last letter of the plural noun is not an s,

add an apostrophe and s.women’s children’s

4. If the last letter of the plural noun is an s, add only an apostrophe.

companies’boards of directors’

STEPS: