
An apostrophe (’) is a tiny punctuation mark but carries a big responsibility: showing possession, ownership, or relationship.
Understanding how this tiny mark is used in English will help you write effectively and most importantly, not confuse possessive apostrophes with contraction apostrophes.
So, what is a possessive apostrophe? And how do we use it?
What is a Possessive Apostrophe?
Before we understand possessive apostrophe, let’s make one thing clear: an apostrophe is this (’) little punctuation mark in English with three uses:
- To show possessions or relations,
- To pluralize words, digits, numbers, or symbols;
- To contract words or numbers.
A Possessive Apostrophe Shows Possessions
Among the three uses of apostrophe, a possessive apostrophe (’) is the one that shows possessions or relations between two nouns. It shows that something is possessed or owned by someone or something.
For example, the sentence “That is Ahmed’s bike” (with an apostrophe between “Ahmed” and “s”) implies that the bike belongs to Ahmed. You could rephrase the sentence and say, “That bike belongs to Ahmed,” and the meaning stays the same.
Examples of possessive apostrophe:
- The dog’s harness means the harness that belongs to the dog.
- Emily’s necklace means the necklace that belongs to Emily.
However, a possessive apostrophe doesn’t always show possession.
A Possessive Apostrophe Can Also Show Relations Beyond Possession
A possessive apostrophe doesn’t always imply a strict ownership or possession. It can also show a relationship, association, or belonging between two nouns (i.e., persons or things).
For example, the sentence “Sarah’s brother” doesn’t mean that Sarah owns her brother. Rather, it shows a relationship between Sarah and her brother — that the brother is related to Sarah.
Examples of possessive apostrophes showing relations:
- “The company’s CEO” refers to the CEO associated with the company.
- “The car’s engine” refers to the engine that belongs to the car.
- “The mountain’s stiffness” refers to the stiffness associated with the mountain.
Thus, not every possessive apostrophe (as the name indicates) shows a possession or ownership, but can also indicate connections.
Rules for Using Possessive Apostrophe
To add an apostrophe to a word, we usually add one “s” at the end of that word and place the apostrophe between the two (word and the “s”).
So, “word” + (’) + “s” becomes the formula.
However, some noun words in English already end with an “s,” like regular plurals, and adding another “s” to these words can sometimes mess up the pronunciation. That’s why English has different rules for adding apostrophes to different nouns based on how they end.
Let’s go over these rules:
1. Singular Nouns
Possessions of singular nouns are shown by adding an apostrophe followed by an “s” (’s).
Examples:
- The professor’s book (the book of the professor).
- The hamster’s cage (the cage belonging to the hamster).
2. Singular Nouns Ending in “s”
Some singular nouns end in “s,” such as “James” and “news.” We show their possessions just like we show the possessions of other singular nouns that don’t end in “s”: by adding an apostrophe and an “s” (’s).
Examples:
- James’s book (the book belonging to James).
- The news’s fierce nature (the fierce nature associated with the news).
However, some style guides prefer only adding an apostrophe after the word without the additional “s” for a smoother flow and easier readability.
A family name also takes only an apostrophe without the extra “s.”
- The Smiths’ car (the car that the Smith family owns)
- The Jasons’ house (the house owned by the Jason family)
3. Plural Nouns
Most plural nouns end in “s.” For example: bees, eggs, and tables. However, some plural nouns don’t end in “s.” Thus, both cases have different rules:
A. Plural Nouns Ending in “s” (Regular Plurals):
For plural nouns that end in “s,” we only add an apostrophe after the word.
Examples:
- The bees’ hive (the hive of the bees)
- The tables’ legs (the legs belonging to the tables)
- The eggs’ fragility (the fragility associated with the eggs)
B. Plural Nouns Not Ending in “s” (Irregular Plurals):
Plural nouns that don’t end in “s,” also called irregular nouns, are made possessive by adding an apostrophe and an “s” (’s).
Examples:
- The children’s books (the books of the children).
- The three fish’s sleeping schedule (the sleeping schedule of the three fish).
- “He has a hundred sheep’s stubbornness.” (He has the stubbornness of a hundred sheep).
C. Pluralized Irregular Plurals:
Sometimes, irregular plurals are pluralized (by adding an “s” or “es”) to refer to different groups of the same item belonging to different kinds or regions.
For example: “Peoples of different countries” means groups of different people belonging to different countries, while “fishes of different kinds” could mean groups of different fish belonging to different kinds.
Possession of such irregular plurals are made by adding only an apostrophe (’) without the extra “s.”
Examples:
- The peoples’ behavior (the behavior of the different groups of people)
- The childrens’ toys (the toys of the different groups of children)
- The womens’ increasing population (the increasing population of the different groups of women)
4. Compound Nouns
Compound nouns are words made up of two or more words combined, acting as single words. These words are made possessive by adding an apostrophe to the last word in the combination:
Examples:
- The mother-in-law’s son (the son of the mother-in-law).
- The tooth-brush’s packet (the packet of the tooth-brush).
- The editor-in-chief’s decision (the decision of the editor in chief).
5. Shared vs. Individual Possession
Sometimes, more than one noun occurs in a sentence, such as in “John and Jonnah.” In this case, we make show their possession or relation based on the following two scenarios:
1. Shared Possession: If all the nouns share possession of the item, then add an apostrophe only to the last person’s name. For example:
- John and Jonnah’s house (the house belongs to both John and Jonnah).
2. Individual Possession: If the nouns don’t share possession of the item, and instead own separate items, add an apostrophe to each person’s name. For example:
- John’s and Jonnah’s house (John owns one house, and Jonnah owns another).
These are the rules for adding apostrophes to different nouns. Now let’s take a look at some of the common mistakes regarding using apostrophes.
Mistaking Contraction Apostrophes for Possessive Apostrophes in Personal Pronouns (he, she, it)
The difference in names (contraction apostrophe and possessive apostrophe) is to differentiate between its two use cases: when an apostrophe is used to contract words, it is called a contraction apostrophe. But when it is used to make words possessive, it is called a possessive apostrophe.
However, many people end up confusing the two apostrophes.
Why Do People Confuse Contraction and Possessive Apostrophes?
People can confuse contraction apostrophe with possessive because it is the same punctuation mark (’) with different uses. Thus, many people end up confusing contracted words involving personal pronouns (he’s) with possessive pronouns (his).
Another reason for the confusion is that nouns form their possessive cases using apostrophes. So, people just assume the same for the pronouns (i.e., if I add an apostrophe to “he,” it will become possessive [he’s]).
However, the rules differ here: Pronouns have distinct possessive forms — which actually don’t use apostrophes — to show their possession of something. For example, the pronoun “he” has its unique possessive case “his,” and the same goes for all other personal pronouns: she, it, we, they, you, and I.
Let’s clarify some common misunderstandings that arise in this way, when apostrophes are used to combine “he,” “she,” or “it” with “is” or “has.”
1. It’s vs Its
The word “it’s” is not a possessive case of the pronoun “it.” It is instead a contraction, as explained below:
It’s: “It’s” is a contraction of “it is” or “it has” and is not the possessive case of the pronoun “it,” but rather a combination of “it” and the verb “is” with the apostrophe connecting the two. So, the word “it’s” does not show possession of anything by “it.”
For example:
- “It’s house” would translate as “It is house” and not “the house of it.” Saying “It’s house” is incorrect if you want to show possession of the house by “it.”
Its: “Its” (without the apostrophe) is the possessive case of “it” and shows possession of something by the pronoun “it.”
For example:
- “Its house” would translate as “the house of it” or “the house that belongs to it,” which is the correct way of showing possession of the house by “it,” where “it” can refer to any sort of thing, let’s say a cat.
2. He’s vs His
Similar to “it’s” and “its,” “he’s” is not the possessive case of the pronoun “he.” Rather, it is a contraction of the terms “he” and “is.”
He’s: “He’s” is a contraction of “he is” or “he has” and does not indicate a possession by “him.”
For example:
- “He’s car” would mean “He is car,” which is incorrect for showing possession.
So, you would use the pronoun’s possessive case “his” to show something possessed by “him” instead of “he’s.”
His: “His” is the possessive case of “he.”
For example:
- “His car” means “the car that belongs to him.”
3. She’s vs Her
Similar to “it’s” and “its,” “she’s” is not the possessive case of the pronoun “she,” but a contraction of the terms “she” and “is.”
She’s: “She’s” is a contraction of “she is” or “she has.”
For example:
- “She’s backpack” would mean “She is backpack,” which is incorrect for showing possession.”
Instead of “she’s,” to show something possessed by “her,” you would use the pronoun’s possessive case, which is “her.”
Her: “Her” is the possessive case of the pronoun “She.”
For example:
- “Her backpack” means “the backpack that belongs to her.”
By remembering these rules for personal pronouns and their distinction from nouns, you can avoid mistakenly calling somebody a house (she’s house!) :).
Conclusion
A possessive apostrophe (’) is used to show possession or ownership of something by someone or something. Possessive apostrophes are also used to show relations and associations. So, it does not imply a strict ownership.
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