This article is part of our Complete English Grammar Practice Guide — explore all grammar topics with interactive exercises, including our dedicated possessives practice.
Possessives show that something belongs to someone or something else. English has two main ways to do this: the possessive apostrophe (Sarah’s book) and possessive words such as my, your and mine. They look simple, but the apostrophe trips up native speakers and learners alike, and small choices — like where to put the apostrophe in a plural — change the meaning.
This guide covers every core rule: the possessive ‘s for singular nouns, s’ for plurals, irregular plurals, joint versus separate possession, possessive adjectives and pronouns, and the famous confusions its vs it’s and whose vs who’s. Clear examples in British English show exactly how each one works.
Key Takeaways
- Add ‘s to singular nouns and to plurals that do not end in s: the cat’s, the children’s.
- Add only an apostrophe (s’) to regular plurals that already end in s: the dogs’.
- Joint possession uses one apostrophe (Tom and Jerry’s house); separate possession uses one each (Tom’s and Jerry’s houses).
- Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, hers, its, theirs) never take an apostrophe.
- It’s and who’s are contractions; its and whose are possessives.
The Possessive Apostrophe at a Glance
The first decision is always about the apostrophe and the letter s. The rule depends on whether the owner is singular or plural, and whether the plural already ends in s.
| Owner | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular noun | add ‘s | the girl’s coat, Sarah’s phone |
| Plural ending in s | add s’ | the girls’ coats, the teachers’ room |
| Irregular plural (no s) | add ‘s | the children’s books, the men’s team |
| Name ending in s | add ‘s (usual) | James’s car, the boss’s office |
Singular 's and Plural s'
For a single owner, add an apostrophe and an s, whatever the final letter of the word.
Singular Owner → Add ‘s
the dog’s lead (one dog)
my brother’s flat (one brother)
today’s newspaper (a time expression)
Plural Owner Ending in s → Add Only an Apostrophe
Make the noun plural first, then place the apostrophe after the final s:
the dogs’ leads (several dogs)
my brothers’ flats (more than one brother)
two weeks’ notice (a plural time expression)
Notice where the apostrophe falls: the girl’s (one girl) versus the girls’ (several girls). The position carries the meaning.
Irregular Plurals: children's, men's, people's
Some plurals do not end in s — children, men, women, people, mice, feet. Because they have no final s, you treat them like singular nouns and simply add ‘s.
the children’s playground
the women’s changing room
the people’s choice
the childrens’ playground — childrens is not a word
Names Ending in s: James's or James'?
Singular names that end in s cause real disagreement. Modern British style usually adds ‘s because that reflects how we pronounce the word, with an extra syllable.
James’s car (said “James-iz”)
Charles’s house, the boss’s decision
Socrates’ ideas (classical names often drop the extra s)
If you say an extra “-iz” sound, write ‘s (James’s). For long classical or ancient names where you do not, an apostrophe alone is fine (Moses’ laws).
Joint vs Separate Possession
When two people own something, the apostrophe tells your reader whether they share it or own separate things.
Joint possession (shared)
- Tom and Jerry’s house — one house they share.
- Apostrophe on the last name only.
- Mum and Dad’s anniversary.
Separate possession (individual)
- Tom’s and Jerry’s houses — one house each.
- Apostrophe on each name; noun usually plural.
- The doctor’s and the lawyer’s offices.
Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns
Besides the apostrophe, English shows ownership with two sets of words. Possessive adjectives sit before a noun; possessive pronouns stand alone and replace the noun.
| Subject | Possessive adjective (+ noun) | Possessive pronoun (alone) |
|---|---|---|
| I | my book | mine |
| you | your book | yours |
| he | his book | his |
| she | her book | hers |
| it | its tail | — |
| we | our book | ours |
| they | their book | theirs |
This is my seat. → This seat is mine.
Is this your bag? → Is this bag yours?
This seat is mine’s. — mine’s does not exist
Possessive pronouns never take an apostrophe. Your’s, her’s and their’s are always wrong; write yours, hers, theirs.
Its vs It's and Whose vs Who's
These two pairs cause more errors than any other part of possessives, because the apostrophe does the opposite of what learners expect.
its / it’s
- its = belonging to it: The dog wagged its tail.
- it’s = it is / it has: It’s raining.
- Test: can you say it is? Then use it’s.
whose / who’s
- whose = belonging to whom: Whose coat is this?
- who’s = who is / who has: Who’s coming?
- Test: can you say who is? Then use who’s.
The Double Genitive: a friend of mine
English allows you to combine of with a possessive form. This is the double genitive (or double possessive), and it is perfectly correct standard English.
a friend of mine (one of my friends)
a colleague of John’s
a friend of me — use the possessive mine, not the object pronoun
The double genitive often signals ‘one of several’: a friend of mine suggests you have more than one friend.
Inanimate Objects and the of-Phrase
We happily use ‘s with people, animals, groups and time (Sarah’s phone, the cat’s basket, the company’s policy, a day’s work). With ordinary inanimate objects, English usually prefers the of-structure.
the leg of the table
the end of the film
the table’s leg — understandable, but the of-phrase is more natural
The boundary is flexible. We do say London’s parks and the world’s population, where places and organisations behave a little like people. With everyday objects, though, of is the safer choice.
Common Apostrophe Mistakes
apple’s for sale → just a plural: apples for sale (the ‘greengrocer’s apostrophe’)
Its raining. → It’s raining. (it is)
The dog ate it’s food. → The dog ate its food. (possessive)
the girls’ coat (meaning one girl) → the girl’s coat
This book is your’s. → This book is yours.
Practise English Possessives
Lock in the rules for ‘s, s’, and the tricky pairs with quick, interactive flash cards.
Study with Flash CardsExercises to Practise on LexFizz
- Flash Cards — review possessive rules with spaced repetition
- Quiz — multiple-choice questions on apostrophes and pronouns
- Match Up — match each subject to its possessive form
- Complete the Sentence — add the missing possessive
- Cloze Dropdown — choose its or it’s, whose or who’s
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Frequently Asked Questions
Use ‘s for singular nouns and for plural nouns that do not end in s: the dog’s bowl, the child’s toy, the children’s games. Use s’ (apostrophe after the s) for regular plural nouns that already end in s: the dogs’ bowls, the students’ books, the teachers’ meeting. The quick test: form the plural first, then decide. If the plural already ends in s, just add an apostrophe; if it does not, add ‘s.
For regular plurals that end in s, add only an apostrophe after the s: the parents’ car, the workers’ rights, two weeks’ notice. For irregular plurals that do not end in s, add ‘s as you would to a singular noun: the men’s changing room, the children’s books, the people’s choice, the women’s team. The apostrophe position depends on the final letter of the plural, not on the word being plural.
Both are accepted for a singular name ending in s, but modern British style usually prefers James’s because it reflects how we say it (James-iz). So you would write James’s car, Charles’s house, the boss’s office. Some style guides and traditional usage drop the extra s for ancient or classical names (Jesus’, Moses’, Socrates’). The safest rule for learners is: add ‘s if you pronounce an extra syllable, which is the usual case.
Tom and Jerry’s house means they share one house together (joint possession): the apostrophe goes only on the last name. Tom’s and Jerry’s houses means they each own a separate house (separate possession): each name takes its own ‘s and the noun is usually plural. So use one apostrophe at the end for shared ownership, and an apostrophe on each name for individual ownership.
Its (no apostrophe) is the possessive of it, meaning belonging to it: The dog wagged its tail. It’s (with an apostrophe) is a contraction of it is or it has: It’s raining. It’s been a long day. The simple test: if you can replace the word with it is or it has, use it’s. If you cannot, use its. Possessive pronouns never take an apostrophe, which is why its has none.
Whose is the possessive form, asking or stating which person something belongs to: Whose bag is this? The man whose car was stolen called the police. Who’s is a contraction of who is or who has: Who’s coming to the party? Who’s finished their work? The test is the same as its and it’s: if you can expand it to who is or who has, use who’s; otherwise use whose.
Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) come before a noun: This is my book. Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs) replace the noun completely and stand alone: This book is mine. So you say my car (adjective + noun) but the car is mine (pronoun, no noun after it). Note that his is both an adjective and a pronoun, and that none of these possessive words take an apostrophe.
The double genitive (or double possessive) combines of with a possessive form, as in a friend of mine, a colleague of John’s, or that hobby of hers. It is correct standard English and often sounds more natural than the alternatives. It usually carries the meaning ‘one of several’: a friend of mine suggests I have more than one friend. Use a possessive pronoun (mine, yours, hers) or a possessive noun (John’s) after of, not an object pronoun.
We normally use ‘s with people, animals, groups and time expressions: Sarah’s phone, the cat’s basket, the company’s policy, a day’s work. For inanimate objects we usually prefer the of-structure: the leg of the table (rather than the table’s leg), the end of the film, the roof of the house. The boundary is flexible, and ‘s is common with places and organisations (London’s parks, the world’s population), but with everyday objects of is the safer choice.
Practise by: (1) Reading short texts and underlining every possessive form, checking whether the apostrophe is before or after the s. (2) Writing your own sentences using singular, plural and irregular plural possessives. (3) Doing gap-fill exercises that test its versus it’s and whose versus who’s. (4) Using LexFizz’s Flash Cards, Quiz and Complete the Sentence games to review the rules with instant feedback. (5) Saying the phrase aloud, since whether you hear an extra syllable often tells you whether to add ‘s.
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