Simple explanation
What is possessive 's? We use possessive 's to show that something belongs to a person or animal, or that there is a close connection between them. In Emma's bag, Emma is the owner and bag is the thing that belongs to her. The basic word order In English, the owner usually comes first. The basic pattern is owner + 's + thing. For example, Tom's bike means the bike that belongs to Tom. The order bike Tom is not correct. Possession with a singular noun For one person or animal, add 's directly to the name or noun: Anna's phone, my brother's room, the dog's food. This is the main possessive pattern you need at A1 level. Regular plural nouns ending in s If the owner is plural and the plural noun already ends in s, add only an apostrophe after the s. For example, my parents' car means the car belongs to my parents, and the students' books means the books belong to the students. Irregular plural nouns Some plural nouns do not end in s, such as children, men, and women. These nouns take 's: the children's toys, the men's room, the women's bags. Asking about ownership with Whose Use Whose to ask who something belongs to. For example, Whose bag is this? A full answer is It's Lisa's bag. If the thing is already clear, you can simply say It's Lisa's. Possessive 's or short form of is? The form 's does not always show possession. In Sarah's bag, 's is possessive. In Sarah's tired, 's means is: Sarah is tired. At A1 level, look at the word after 's and the meaning of the sentence to help you decide.
Grammar formula
Singular possession
singular owner + 's + nounSophie's bike is new.
Regular plural possession
plural owner ending in s + ' + nounMy parents' car is outside.
Irregular plural possession
irregular plural owner + 's + nounThe children's room is upstairs.
Question about ownership
Whose + noun + be + subject?Whose keys are these?
Short possessive answer
It is + owner's name + 's.It's Maria's.
Core rules
- 1
Singular owner + 's
Add 's to a singular person or animal: Mia's book, the cat's food.
- 2
Put the owner first
The normal pattern is owner + 's + thing: Daniel's laptop.
- 3
Plural ending in s + apostrophe
If a regular plural noun already ends in s, add only an apostrophe: my friends' apartment.
- 4
Irregular plural + 's
If the plural noun does not end in s, add 's: the children's clothes.
- 5
Use Whose for ownership questions
Use Whose + noun to ask who owns something: Whose jacket is this?
- 6
Omit the repeated noun when it is clear
If everyone already knows the thing you are talking about, you can answer without repeating the noun: Whose phone is this? It's Alex's.
Useful examples
This is Emma's bag.
This bag belongs to Emma.
Emma is one person, so we add 's.
Tom's bike is in the garden.
The bike that belongs to Tom is in the garden.
The owner, Tom, comes before bike.
My brother's room is very small.
The room belonging to my brother is very small.
Brother is singular, so it takes 's.
The dog's water is in the kitchen.
The water for the dog is in the kitchen.
Possessive 's can also be used with animals.
Sophia's birthday is in July.
Sophia has her birthday in July.
Possessive 's can show connection, not only ownership of physical objects.
My parents' car is blue.
The car belonging to my parents is blue.
Parents is a regular plural ending in s, so we add only an apostrophe.
The students' books are on the table.
The books belonging to the students are on the table.
Students already ends in s, so the apostrophe comes after the final s.
The children's toys are in the box.
The toys belonging to the children are in the box.
Children is an irregular plural and does not end in s, so it takes 's.
Whose jacket is this?
Who does this jacket belong to?
Whose comes before the noun jacket.
It's Daniel's jacket.
The jacket belongs to Daniel.
Daniel's shows the owner.
Whose keys are these?
Who do these keys belong to?
Whose can also be used with a plural noun.
They're my sister's keys.
The keys belong to my sister.
My sister's comes before the plural noun keys.
This is James's desk.
This desk belongs to James.
James's is a common possessive form for the singular name James.
The women's bags are over there.
The bags belonging to the women are over there.
Women is an irregular plural, so it takes 's.
Common mistakes
- ❌ This is Sara bag. ✅ This is Sara's bag. A singular owner normally needs 's to show possession.
- ❌ This is the bag Sara's. ✅ This is Sara's bag. In the basic possessive structure, the owner comes before the thing.
- ❌ My parents's car is new. ✅ My parents' car is new. Parents is already a plural noun ending in s, so only an apostrophe is added.
- ❌ The childrens' toys are here. ✅ The children's toys are here. Children is an irregular plural that does not end in s, so it takes 's.
- ❌ Whose is this bag? ✅ Whose bag is this? In the basic A1 pattern, Whose comes directly before the noun.
- ❌ This is Marias book. ✅ This is Maria's book. An s without an apostrophe does not form the correct possessive here.
- ❌ Sarah's tired. 's shows possession. ✅ Sarah's tired. 's means is. In Sarah's tired, 's is the short form of is because it is followed by the adjective tired.
Learning tips
- First identify the owner, then put the owner before the thing.
- For one owner, use 's: Alex's phone.
- For a regular plural ending in s, add only an apostrophe: my friends' house.
- For an irregular plural that does not end in s, use 's: children's books.
- Use Whose when you want to ask about the owner.
- Do not assume every 's shows possession. In She's happy, 's means is.
- If the object is already clear, you can use a short answer such as It's Peter's.
Practise this topic
Interactive exercises for this topic are coming soon.
PlannedRelated grammar
Related dictionary words
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Sara's book and Sara's tired?
In Sara's book, 's shows possession. In Sara's tired, 's is the short form of is: Sara is tired.
How do I show possession with more than one person?
If the plural noun ends in s, add only an apostrophe: the students' books. If the plural does not end in s, add 's: the children's books.
Why is it children's and not childrens'?
Children is already the correct plural of child and does not end in s. That is why we add 's: children's.
How do I ask who something belongs to?
Use Whose before the noun: Whose phone is this? or Whose keys are these?
Do I always need to repeat the noun in the answer?
No. If the object is already clear, you can say It's Lisa's instead of It's Lisa's bag.
What is the difference between my brother's room and my brothers' room?
My brother's room refers to one brother. My brothers' room refers to more than one brother. The position of the apostrophe shows the difference.
Can I use 's with names that already end in s?
Yes. For a singular name such as James, James's is a common and correct form: James's desk.