What are singular possessive nouns?
Singular possessive nouns show that one person, animal, or thing owns something.
Examples:
- the dog’s bone
- the girl’s hat
- the teacher’s desk
Note
The word singular means one. A singular possessive noun shows that one owner has something.
How do we form a singular possessive noun?
To make a singular noun possessive, add an apostrophe (’) and the letter s to the noun.
Steps:
- Start with a noun: cat
- Add an apostrophe and s: cat’s
- Now it shows ownership: the cat’s toy
Note
The apostrophe goes before the s because only one cat owns the toy.
What does a singular possessive noun tell us?
A singular possessive noun tells who something belongs to.
Examples:
- the boy’s bike (the bike belongs to the boy)
- the bird’s nest (the nest belongs to the bird)
- the mom’s car (the car belongs to the mom)
Note
You can ask, “Who owns it?” to find the possessive noun.
Using singular possessive nouns in sentences
Singular possessive nouns help make sentences clearer by showing ownership.
Examples:
- The girl’s dog is brown.
- I found the baby’s shoe.
- The teacher’s book is on the table.
Note
Make sure the apostrophe is placed before the s when only one person or thing owns something.