What is Plural Possession?
Possession means showing that something belongs to someone or something. When one person owns something, we use 's (apostrophe s). But when many people own something together, we use s' (apostrophe after the s). For example: "The girl's book" (one girl) and "The girls' book" (many girls). The meaning is similar, but the grammar is different.
How to Use s' (Apostrophe S)
The rule is simple: when a noun is plural and ends with s, add only an apostrophe (') after the s. Do not add another s. For plural nouns that do not end in s (like children, people, men, women), add 's (apostrophe s) like a singular noun. This applies to groups of people, animals, or things.
Important Exceptions
Some plural nouns do not end in s. These are called irregular plurals. Examples include: children, people, men, women, teeth, and feet. For these words, use 's (apostrophe s) the same way as singular nouns. Example: "The children's toys" (not "children toys' "). This rule helps you understand possession for all types of nouns.
The s' Formula
Formula Strips
Examples
What to Remember
- Use s' (apostrophe after s) for plural nouns that already end in s.
- Do not add an extra s after the apostrophe for plural possessives.
- The girls' book means many girls own one book together.
- Plural nouns ending in s need only an apostrophe, no additional s.
- Check if the noun is plural and ends in s before using s'.