Possessives
* What they are: Possessives show ownership or belonging. They tell us who or what something belongs to.
* How they work:
* Nouns: Add an apostrophe and an 's' to singular nouns (e.g., "the dog's bone," "the girl's book").
* Plural nouns: Add an apostrophe after the 's' if the plural noun already ends in 's' (e.g., "the boys' toys," "the cats' food").
* Irregular plural nouns: Add an apostrophe and an 's' if the plural noun doesn't end in 's' (e.g., "children's clothes," "men's shoes").
Contractions
* What they are: Contractions are shortened forms of words where letters are omitted and replaced with an apostrophe.
* Common examples:
* It is becomes it's
* You are becomes you're
* I am becomes I'm
* Cannot becomes can't
* Will not becomes won't
Key Differences:
* Meaning: Possessives show ownership, while contractions are shortened words.
* Apostrophe placement: Possessives usually have the apostrophe before the 's,' while contractions have it within the shortened word.
Examples:
* Possessive: "The cat's tail was fluffy." (The tail belongs to the cat)
* Contraction: "It's raining outside." (This is short for "It is raining outside")
Let me know if you have any more questions!