Use of Possessive Noun With Examples

A possessive noun is a type of noun that shows ownership or belonging (possession). It normally shows that something belongs to someone.

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For instance, "the boy’s car" shows that the car belongs to the boy. Most possessive nouns are formed by adding an apostrophe and "s" ('s) to the noun.

However, there are special cases to this rule that you need to consider or learn, especially with plural nouns ending in the character "s."

According to a recent study, over 20% of common grammar mistakes involve incorrect use of possessive nouns and apostrophes.

In this write-up, I will discuss and explain the possessive noun’s rules, its form, examples, and types. So let's get started!

Possessive noun rules

Grammar rules provide rules for consistent and effective communication. They help us maintain a standard structure, ensuring our thoughts are expressed clearly and accurately.

Possessive nouns also have rules to follow to avoid ambiguity in their use as these nouns have their own rules in grammar.

Lynne Truss stated, "Understanding possessive nouns is key to mastering the complexity of English grammar and avoiding doubtfulness in your sentences." The rules below for possessive nouns will give you more clarity about them:

1. Singular Possessive Nouns

Singular possessive nouns show possession of something. Here you add ('s) to the end of the noun. For example:

The boy's toy
The cat's paw

2. Plural possessive nouns

Plural possessive nouns show ownership of something where it ends in (s), add an apostrophe. For example:

The girls' room
The dogs' bed

In special cases, if the plural noun doesn't end in s, add 's:

The children's toys

3. Special Cases

Generally, we use possession with words as adding s, or ‘s. But there are a few cases of their use which you need to consider. For names ending with s, you can add 's or just an apostrophe as:

Charles's book or Charles' book
Compound nouns: Add 's to the last word
My sister-in-law's car

How are possessive nouns used in sentences?

Possessive nouns are used to describe ownership over someone or something. These nouns are used in different ways in a sentence according to the grammar rules. Below we are discussing two forms of using possessive nouns in sentences.

1. Before another noun:

The possessive noun before another noun acts like a possessive controller, such as "my" or "your." It modifies the noun that follows it, showing possession or ownership.

Example:

"The boy's ball is lost." (The possessive noun "boy's" modifies the noun "ball.")

2. Independently:

The possessive noun independently stands alone without being connected to another noun. It still refers to the noun that was mentioned earlier in the sentence. This is similar to the use of possessive pronouns like "mine" or "yours."

Example:

"Whose book is this?" "It's mine." (The possessive noun "mine" refers back to the noun "book" from the previous sentence.)

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What is the possessive form?

The possessive form is a kind of noun that shows ownership. It generally shows something that belongs to someone. Below are some forms of possessive nouns. How to form the possessive:

Singular nouns: Add ('s) to the end of the word.

Example: The boy's school bag. The bird's nest is in the tree.

Plural nouns ending in s’: Add an apostrophe.

Example: The babies' clothes are so adorable. The farmers' market has fresh produce and handmade goods.

Plural nouns not ending in s: Add either ’s or ’.

Example: There was a children's toy shop. No one was talking about women's rights at the conference.

What is a possessive adjective?

An adjective describes a noun or a pronoun. So, a possessive adjective will explain the ownership or belonging of a noun. The possessive adjective comes before a noun to show who or what something belongs to. Examples of possessive adjectives:

My bottle
Your bike
His mouse
Her guitar
Our house
Their horses

Types of Possessive nouns

Possessive nouns have no fixed types but, I will categorize them according to the basis of the nouns they modify. Following are the categorizations or types of possessive nouns. Let’s begin:

Singular possessive nouns

The singular possessive noun is a type of noun that shows the person, place, or thing that is owned by a single person. E.g., incorrect: The cat paws are soft, and the correct: The cat's paw is soft. For Example:

The boy's toy is lost.
Maria's car is new.
The girl's keyboard is broken.

Plural possessive nouns?

The plural possessive noun is a type of noun that shows possession of more than one person, place, or thing. E.g., incorrect: The students' books are on the shelves. And the correct: The students' books are on the shelves. For example:

The teachers' lounge is upstairs.
The children's toys are scattered around.
The women's hats are stylish.

Irregular possessive nouns?

This form of noun involves words that don't follow the standard rules for forming possessives. They often have unique plural forms. For example:

Women's shoes (women is an irregular plural)
People's opinions (people is an irregular plural)
Children's toys (children is an irregular plural)
Men's hats (men is an irregular plural)

Make the Compound Nouns Possessive

Compound nouns are the words which are formed by one or two words together. So compound possessive nouns are a form of possessive in which it forms two or three words by adding conjunctions (the words that connect phrases or sentences.)

The following examples of compound possessive nouns will help you understand them better:

Brother-in-law's car
Mothers-in-law's advice
Best friend's birthday
Cousins’ house

Possession vs. contraction

My sister Aurora had a beautiful book that she loved very much. One day, she showed it to her friend, Anna. Anna said, "That's a lovely book. Can I borrow it?" Aurora replied, "Sure, you can. It's your book now."

Here, the word "your" is a possessive pronoun that shows ownership. It tells us that the book belongs to Anna. On the other hand, the word "it's" is a contraction. It's a shortened form of the words "it is".

So, when Aurora says, "It's your book," she means, "It is your book." To sum up, possession means that something belongs to someone or something else. For example, if I say "This is my house," I'm showing that the house belongs to me.

Contradiction means that two ideas are opposite or don't make sense together. For example, if I say "I love chocolate, but I hate ice cream." that's a contradiction because rain and sunshine usually don't happen at the same time.

Do you know?

In English language exams, students frequently lose up to 5% of their total marks due to errors in the use of possessive forms.

Indicating possession with “of”

In possession, the noun apostrophe ('s) is not the only way or form to show possession. There is another way of showing possession with "of.” It is particularly useful for indicating words such as:

Non-living things

The top of the mountain is snowy.
The color of the sky is blue.

Abstract noun

The importance of education cannot be denied.
The beauty of nature is inspiring.

Long noun phrases

The car of the woman who lives next door is red.

Wrapping Up

Possessive nouns are an important aspect of grammar. By understanding the rules for forming them and their proper usage in sentences, writers or students effectively express the relationships between people, objects, and ideas.

I remember struggling with possessive nouns when I first started learning English. I often confused plural possessive nouns with contractions. But with time I practiced and aced them.

Learning and implementing them in your sentences or paragraphs accordingly is very crucial. While the concept looks simple, variations such as irregular plurals and the use of "of" to indicate possession add depth to the topic.

But with consistency and practice, you will be able to learn its use soon.

Confused about whose what? Our guide on possessive nouns clears it up!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does possessive mean?

It means to show your belonging or control over something or someone.

2. What are the different types of possessive nouns?

There are different types of possession nouns, such as singular, plural, irregular, and compound possessive nouns.

3. Give some examples of Possessive Nouns

Following are some examples of possessive nouns: cat's food, girls' school, and father-in-law's advice.

4. What are the 7 possessive nouns?

Below are the seven possessive nouns:

mine
yours
his
hers
its
ours
theirs