Learn how to show possession using 's in sentences like John’s book.
Possessive forms show that something belongs to someone or something. To show possession for a singular noun, we add 's.
Examples: – This is John’s book.Examples: – That is Emma’s car.Add 's to singular nouns Use 's after a singular noun to show possession. Example: Anna’s bag.The possessed object follows The thing that belongs to the person comes after the possessive. Example: Tom’s house.Person: This is Sarah’s phone.Place: We visited London’s famous landmarks.Thing: The car’s engine is new.Use 's to show something belongs to a singular noun.
People: Mary’s laptop is on the table.Places: We admired Paris’s architecture.Things: The book’s cover is blue.Forgetting the 's: ❌ This is John book. ✔️ This is John’s book.Using 's with plural nouns incorrectly: ❌ The cats’s toys are here. ✔️ The cat’s toys are here.Rules for Using 's to Show Possession
Add 's to a singular noun to show possession.
Use 's with names of people to indicate ownership.
Use 's with singular places or things.
Special Cases & Exceptions:
When a singular noun ends with an s, you can add either 's or just an apostrophe.
| Example | Description |
|---|---|
| John’s book | Shows that the book belongs to John. |
| Sarah’s phone | Shows that the phone belongs to Sarah. |
| The cat’s toy | Shows that the toy belongs to the cat. |
| The car’s engine | Shows that the engine belongs to the car. |
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