Here's how they work:
1. Singular Nouns:
* Add an apostrophe and an "s" ('s) to the end:
* the dog's bone (the bone belongs to the dog)
* the girl's book (the book belongs to the girl)
* the sun's rays (the rays belong to the sun)
2. Plural Nouns:
* If the plural noun already ends in "s", just add an apostrophe:
* the dogs' bones (the bones belong to the dogs)
* the girls' books (the books belong to the girls)
* the suns' rays (the rays belong to the suns)
* If the plural noun doesn't end in "s", add an apostrophe and an "s":
* the children's toys (the toys belong to the children)
* the men's hats (the hats belong to the men)
3. Special Cases:
* When a noun already ends in an "s", you can use an apostrophe only OR an apostrophe and "s":
* Charles's car (or Charles' car) - both are correct
* the boss's desk (or the boss' desk) - both are correct
4. Possessive Pronouns:
* These words show ownership, but they don't need apostrophes:
* mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs
* *The car is hers.* (meaning the car belongs to her)
Examples:
* The cat's tail was fluffy.
* The students' homework was due today.
* The company's profits were up this year.
* It was my turn to clean the kitchen.
Remember:
* Possessive nouns are usually followed by a noun (the thing owned)
* Possessive pronouns replace the noun that is being owned.