Apostrophes

In Primary 2, you learnt that apostrophes are used in contractions like "don't" and "can't". Now you will learn another important use of the apostrophe: showing that something belongs to someone or something.

What You'll Learn

How to use an apostrophe to show that something belongs to a singular owner (one person, animal, or thing)
How to form possessive nouns by adding 's to a singular noun
The difference between apostrophes for possession and apostrophes for contractions

When to Use

Use an apostrophe + s ('s) when you want to show that something belongs to one person, animal, or thing.

A person owns something: "Sarah's lunchbox is on the table."
An animal owns something: "The cat's tail is fluffy."
A thing has a part or feature: "The tree's branches are very tall."
A place has something: "The school's library has many books."

How to Form

Adding 's to Show Possession

To show that something belongs to one owner, add an apostrophe and the letter s ('s) to the owner's name or noun.

Owner (Singular)	+ 's	Possessive Form	Example
the boy	+ 's	the boy's	The boy's hat blew away.
Mei Ling	+ 's	Mei Ling's	Mei Ling's pencil case is pink.
the dog	+ 's	the dog's	The dog's bone is under the sofa.
my mother	+ 's	my mother's	My mother's cooking is delicious.
the teacher	+ 's	the teacher's	The teacher's desk is neat.

The Pattern

Owner + 's + the thing owned

The girl + 's + bag = The girl's bag

Ahmad + 's + bicycle = Ahmad's bicycle

The rabbit + 's + ears = The rabbit's ears

Words That Already End in "s"

For singular nouns that already end in "s", you still add 's.

Owner	Possessive Form	Example
James	James's	James's water bottle is blue.
the bus	the bus's	The bus's door opened slowly.
the class	the class's	The class's project won first prize.

Key Rules

Add 's to the owner: To show that something belongs to one person, animal, or thing, add 's to the owner. "The boy's hat" means the hat belongs to the boy.
The owner always comes first: The word with 's comes before the thing that is owned. "The cat's whiskers" (not "the whiskers cat's").
Do not confuse possession with contractions: "The boy's hat" means the hat belongs to the boy. "The boy's happy" means "the boy is happy." Look at the word after 's to tell the difference. If a noun follows, it is possession. If an adjective or verb follows, it is a contraction.
Names follow the same rule: Add 's to a person's name just like any other noun. "Priya's homework is done."
Do not use 's for plurals: The apostrophe is for possession, not for making a word plural. "Two cats" is correct (no apostrophe). "The cat's toy" uses an apostrophe because it shows ownership.

Common Mistakes

Wrong	Right	Why
The boy hat is red.	The boy's hat is red.	You need 's to show the hat belongs to the boy
The dogs bone is big.	The dog's bone is big.	You need 's to show the bone belongs to the dog
The bird nest is in the tree.	The bird's nest is in the tree.	You need 's to show the nest belongs to the bird
The apple's are fresh.	The apples are fresh.	No apostrophe for plurals -- there is no ownership here
The teacher's is kind.	The teacher is kind.	No possession is being shown; do not add 's

Clue Words

Look for these clues that tell you possession is needed:

"Belongs to" questions

If you can rephrase the sentence using "belongs to" or "of the", then you need 's.

"The girl's book" = "The book belongs to the girl"
"The school's gate" = "The gate of the school"

Ownership words nearby

has, own, belongs to, of

When you see these words in a question or sentence, think about whether an apostrophe is needed.

Tip: Try the "belongs to" test. If you can say "the _ belongs to the _", then the owner needs 's. "The boy's hat" works because "the hat belongs to the boy."

Practice Tips

Find the owner first: Ask yourself, "Who does this thing belong to?" The owner is the word that gets 's. "The cat's food" -- the food belongs to the cat, so "cat" gets 's.
Use the "belongs to" test: Turn the phrase around. "The dog's collar" becomes "the collar belongs to the dog." If it makes sense, the apostrophe is correct.
Check: possession or contraction?: Look at the word that comes after 's. If it is a noun (a thing), it is possession. If it is an adjective or verb, it is probably a contraction. "The girl's bag" (possession) vs. "The girl's running" (contraction: the girl is running).

Quick Reference

What You Want to Say	How to Write It	Example
The hat belongs to the boy	the boy's hat	The boy's hat is blue.
The tail belongs to the cat	the cat's tail	The cat's tail is long.
The bag belongs to Ravi	Ravi's bag	Ravi's bag is heavy.
The wheels belong to the bus	the bus's wheels	The bus's wheels are big.
The toys belong to the baby	the baby's toys	The baby's toys are colourful.
The garden belongs to my grandmother	my grandmother's garden	My grandmother's garden has many flowers.

Apostrophes (P3) (Primary 3)