Possessive 's for Singular Nouns and Names
Add 's to singular nouns, names, and organizations to show possession — including names that already end in -s, like James's or Tom's — 8 exercises.
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This is ___ umbrella — she left it here yesterday.
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Maria's
A singular name takes 's — Maria's.
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The ___ tail is long and very fluffy. (one dog)
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dog's
A singular noun takes 's — the dog's tail.
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I really love my ___ cooking. (my grandmother)
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grandmother's
A singular noun takes 's — my grandmother's cooking.
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My ___ bedroom is the biggest in the house. (my sister)
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sister's
A singular noun takes 's — my sister's bedroom.
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Is this ___ jacket? He left it on the chair. (Tom)
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Tom's
A singular name takes 's — Tom's jacket.
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The ___ decision to close the factory shocked everyone. (the company)
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company's
An organization takes 's — the company's decision.
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The ___ collar has a small name tag on it. (the cat)
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cat's
A singular noun (and an animal) takes 's — the cat's collar.
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A family celebration
Last Sunday we all gathered at my {1} house in the countryside. It was my {2} eightieth birthday, so the whole family came. The {3} laughter filled the garden as they ran around playing games. My {4} speech, full of old family stories, made everyone smile. Later, we looked through a box of photographs — my {5} wedding day, my {6} graduation, and an old picture of {7} first bicycle. By the end, after {8} celebration, we were all tired but very happy.
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1. grandparents' — Plural noun ending in -s — only an apostrophe: my grandparents' house.
2. grandmother's — Singular noun — 's: my grandmother's birthday.
3. children's — 'Children' is an irregular plural — 's: the children's laughter.
4. uncle's — Singular noun — 's: my uncle's speech.
5. parents' — Plural noun ending in -s — only an apostrophe: my parents' wedding day.
6. sister's — Singular noun — 's: my sister's graduation.
7. James's — A name ending in -s takes 's in modern English: James's first bicycle.
8. a day's — Time expressions take the possessive 's: a day's celebration.
Possessive 's for Singular Nouns and Names
Singular nouns and names form the possessive by adding 's, regardless of what letter they end in. This applies to people (Maria's umbrella, Tom's jacket), family relationships (my sister's bedroom, my grandmother's cooking), animals (the dog's tail, the cat's collar), and organizations (the company's decision). The rule does not change for singular names that already end in -s: modern English style adds 's rather than a bare apostrophe, so James's bicycle is standard, not James' bicycle (a few style guides allow the bare apostrophe for classical names like Jesus' or Socrates', but ordinary names always take the full 's). The test is simple: if the noun refers to one person, one animal, or one organization, add 's — never just an apostrophe.
People and Family Relationships
I really love my grandmother's cooking.
My sister's bedroom is the biggest in the house.
Is this Tom's jacket? He left it on the chair.
Animals and Organizations
The cat's collar has a small name tag on it.
The company's decision to close the factory shocked everyone.
Names Ending in -s
A singular name ending in -s still takes a full 's in standard modern English: James's car, Chris's book. Dropping the final s (writing 'James' car') is a common error that comes from confusing a singular name with a plural noun.
Common Mistakes
✗ The dogs tail is long and fluffy. → ✓ The dog's tail is long and fluffy.
✗ Is this Toms' jacket? → ✓ Is this Tom's jacket?
✗ The companys' decision shocked everyone. → ✓ The company's decision shocked everyone.
✗ We admired James' new car. → ✓ We admired James's new car.
Last updated: · Satori Editorial