Guide to Formation of the Possessive Case (Belakar Sir’s Academy)

Introduction

Mastering possessive nouns isn’t just about knowing where the apostrophe goes—it’s about writing with clarity, confidence, and accuracy. At Belekar Sir’s Academy, we’ve noticed that students often lose marks in grammar because of tiny slips in possessives: cat’s vs cats’, its vs it’s, joint vs separate possession, and so on.

This guide breaks everything down in the simplest way possible. With colour-coded charts, quick tests, examples, worksheets, and exam-focused practice, you’ll learn not just what the rule is, but how to apply it instantly in real sentences. Whether you’re preparing for school boards or competitive exams like SSC, Banking, or UPSC, this complete resource will make possessive nouns your easiest scoring area.

Formation of the Possessive

The possessive case is a way of showing that something belongs to someone or something. In English, we usually show this by adding ’s or s’ to a noun.

Example:

Riya’s book = the book belongs to Riya
The teacher’s desk = the desk of the teacher

Students get confused because English has multiple rules for forming possessives—especially when nouns end with s, when there are plural nouns, or when the noun is a phrase (like the girl next door’s cat).

Understanding the possessive case is important because it appears in:

School grammar (Class 5–10)
Board exams
Competitive exams like SSC, Banking, Defence, Railways
CUET & entrance tests
IELTS / TOEFL writing
And, of course, everyday writing

In simple words, the possessive case helps us show ownership, relationship, and connection clearly — and correct usage instantly improves sentence clarity.

What Does the Possessive Case Show?

The possessive case doesn’t only show ownership. It also shows relationship, origin, measure, and association.

a) Ownership

It tells us that something belongs to someone.

Aarav’s phone
The dog’s tail

b) Relationship

It shows family or personal connections.

Priya’s brother
My father’s friend

c) Origin / Source

Used when something comes from someone or something.

India’s culture
Nature’s beauty

d) Measure / Time / Value

Shows duration, quantity, or amount.

A day’s work
Five minutes’ break
Ten dollars’ worth

e) Possession vs Association

Not everything literally “belongs,” but English still uses possessives for connection.

Examples:

India’s economy → the economy related to India
today’s news → the news of today
the company’s policy → the policy issued by the company

Even when no real ownership exists, the possessive case makes the sentence shorter, clearer, and more natural.

Forms of the Possessive Case

Apostrophe + s (’s)

This is the standard and most common way to form the possessive case.

Use ’s With:

✔ People

Riya’s bag
The teacher’s advice

✔ Animals

The dog’s bone
The cat’s whiskers

✔ Time expressions / value expressions

A week’s notice
A moment’s silence
A rupee’s worth

✔ Proper nouns

Rahul’s laptop
India’s growth

Why we use ’s

It makes sentences shorter and natural.
The laughter of the children → the children’s laughter

Apostrophe After s (s’)

Use s’ when a noun is regular plural (already ending in “s”).

✔ Correct:

The girls’ hostel
The players’ jerseys
My parents’ house

❌ Not used for singular nouns ending in s

This is a common student mistake.

Incorrect: The boss’ office
Correct: The boss’s office (singular → add ’s)

✔ When NOT to use s’

Avoid using s’ for:
❌ Singular names (even if ending in s)
❌ Words that do not form plurals by adding s
❌ Unclear group nouns (like “people” or “children”) — they take ’s, not s’

Zero-Apostrophe Possessives (Possessive Pronouns)

These are possessive forms without any apostrophe:

yours
hers
its
ours
theirs

Why no apostrophe?

Because they are already possessive words, not nouns.

Common exam trap → its vs it’s

its = possessive (The dog wagged its tail.)
it’s = it + is / it + has (It’s raining = It is raining)

Exams love this.

Double Possessives

A double possessive uses of + a possessive noun/pronoun.

✔ Correct Examples:

A friend of Riya’s
A student of mine
A neighbour of theirs

This structure is used when:

We talk about one of many
(A friend of Riya’s = one of Riya’s friends)
The noun is human or animate
The meaning expresses belonging + relationship

❌ When NOT to use it

Avoid double possessives when the noun already identifies something clearly.

Incorrect:
✘ The capital of India’s
✘ The tail of the dog’s

Correct:
✔ India’s capital
✔ The dog’s tail

Possessive Case of Singular Nouns

General Rule (’s)

For most singular nouns, simply add ’s.

The girl’s bicycle
The doctor’s clinic
The child’s toy
The company’s logo

Singular Nouns Ending in s

This is where competitors get boring… let’s make it crystal clear.

There are two acceptable styles:

Option A: Add ’s

Charles’s book
The bus’s door
The class’s strength

Option B: Add only ’

Charles’ book
The bus’ door
The class’ strength

Which one is preferred in Indian schools?

👉 Add ’s is preferred.
Most ICSE/CBSE grammar books and exam keys use ’s after singular nouns ending in s.

Style-guide comparison:

Style Guide	Rule
Chicago Manual of Style (US)	Strongly prefers ’s (Charles’s)
APA	Prefers ’s
AP Style (Journalism)	Allows both, prefers only ’ for classical names
British English (Oxford)	Accepts both; recommends ’s for clarity

Practical takeaway for students:

Use ’s for exams unless instructed otherwise.

Irregular Singular Nouns

These nouns do NOT form plurals with -s, so they take ’s normally.

man → man’s
woman → woman’s
child → child’s
mouse → mouse’s

Irregular Plurals (still treated as singular meaning)

men → men’s
children → children’s
people → people’s
women → women’s

These MUST take ’s, never s’.

The tricky one → police

“Police” is treated as plural, but it does not form a normal plural.

Correct forms:
✔ the police officer’s duty
✔ the police’s action (accepted but rare)
Better:
✔ the action of the police (preferred in formal writing)

Exams love to trap students with “police’s”.

Possessive Case of Plural Nouns

Regular Plurals Ending in -s

If the plural noun already ends in -s, simply add an apostrophe (’) after the s.

Examples:

students → students’ books
teachers → teachers’ meeting
players → players’ jerseys
parents → parents’ room
drivers → drivers’ strike

Exam Tip

Students often add ’s (wrong):
❌ students’s homework
✔ students’ homework

Rule is simple: If the plural ends with s → add only ’.

Irregular Plurals Not Ending in -s

These plural forms do NOT end with -s, so you MUST add ’s.

Examples:

women → women’s rights
children → children’s toys
men → men’s hostel
people → people’s choice
mice → mice’s habitat

Rare but grammatically possible:

criteria → criteria’s usage (formal English rarely uses this; “the usage of the criteria” is more natural)

Key point:

If the plural does not end in s, add ’s → always.

Plurals That Look Singular

Some nouns end in -s but are singular in meaning.
These cause confusion.

a) Mathematics

Singular subject, despite the “s”.

mathematics’ rules (accepted)
mathematics’s rules (also accepted in modern style guides)

Better for exams: Mathematics’

b) News

Also singular.

news’ report or news’s report

Better for exams: news’ report

c) Politics / economics / physics

Follow the same pattern.

Exam Tip:
If it looks plural but means singular → treat it like a singular noun ending in s → both ’s and s’ are acceptable, but Indian grammar books usually prefer s’.

Compound Nouns in the Possessive Case

Compound nouns often confuse students, so this section is GOLD for exam prep.

Hyphenated Nouns

Add ’s to the last word in the compound.

Examples:

father-in-law → father-in-law’s car
editor-in-chief → editor-in-chief’s statement
sister-in-law → sister-in-law’s baby

Never add the apostrophe to the entire phrase — only the last word carries possession.

Multi-Word Noun Phrases

In phrases where the “noun” is made up of multiple words, the last word takes the ’s.

Examples:

The king of Bhutan → the king of Bhutan’s brother
The girl next door → the girl next door’s cat
The head of the department → the head of the department’s decision
The captain of the team → the captain of the team’s speech

Why?

Because English assigns possession to the entire phrase, not just the noun.

Joint Possession vs Separate Possession

This is a major area of exam questions.

a) Joint Possession (one item shared)

Add ’s only to the last noun.

Riya and Sita’s mother
(One mother shared by both)
Rahul and Meera’s house
(One house owned by both)

b) Separate Possession (individual items)

Add ’s to both nouns.

Riya’s and Sita’s books
(Two separate sets of books)
Amit’s and Karan’s cars
(Each owns a different car)

Exam Hack:

Ask yourself:
Is the possessed item ONE or TWO?

One → joint → add apostrophe to last noun only
Two → separate → add apostrophe to each owner

Possessive Case with Multiple Nouns

When more than one noun is involved, the apostrophe placement depends on who owns what. Examiners LOVE asking questions from this section.

Same Possession (Shared Ownership)

When two or more nouns share the same thing, use ’s only after the last noun.

Examples:

Riya, Sita, and Neha’s project
(One project prepared by all three)
Amit and Rahul’s room
(One shared room)

Rule:

Multiple owners + one object → apostrophe after the last owner.

Different Possession (Individual Ownership)

When each noun owns something separately, add ’s to each noun.

Examples:

Riya’s and Sita’s bags
(Two different bags)
Amit’s and Karan’s marks
(Each has separate marks)

Exam Tip:

To check:
Ask “Are there two items or one?”

One item → shared → one apostrophe
Two items → separate → apostrophe for each

With Pronouns

Pronouns follow different rules.

a) Personal pronouns never take an apostrophe

yours, hers, its, ours, theirs

❌ her’s bag
✔ her bag

❌ it’s tail (wrong — it’s = it is)
✔ its tail

b) Indefinite pronouns take ’s

someone’s, anyone’s, no one’s, everybody’s

Examples:

Someone’s phone is ringing.
Everyone’s opinion matters.

With Long Noun Phrases

When the “owner” is a long phrase, add ’s after the entire phrase.

Examples:

The boy who won the race’s medal
The woman in the red saree’s purse
The CEO of the company’s decision

Tip:

Find the main noun at the start of the phrase → the entire phrase becomes the owner.

With Names in a Series

Used when several names appear together.

Examples:

Rohan, Priya, and Amit’s teacher
(One teacher for all three)
Rohan’s, Priya’s, and Amit’s teachers
(Separate teachers for each)

Key takeaway:

Multiple nouns + shared possession → one apostrophe
Multiple nouns + individual possession → multiple apostrophes

When learning about possessive nouns, it’s crucial to first have a solid grasp of noun fundamentals, because possession always builds on what a noun is and how it works. For example, understanding singular and plural nouns is key to knowing whether to add ’s (for singular) or just an apostrophe after s (for plural). You can check out our detailed guide here: Singular and Plural Nouns. That helps lay the groundwork for correct apostrophe placement.

Possessives vs Attributive Nouns

This is a HUGE concept students mix up. Let’s make it super simple.

Core Difference

Possessive noun (’s / s’)

Shows ownership, relationship, or connection.

student’s desk → the desk belongs to one student
teacher’s advice → advice given by a teacher

Attributive noun (noun acting as an adjective)

Shows type, purpose, category, NOT ownership.

student desk → a desk designed for students
chicken soup → soup made of chicken
school uniform → uniform used in school

No ownership. No apostrophe.

When a Noun Acts as an Adjective

A noun placed before another noun often works like an adjective.

Examples:

car keys (keys for a car, not owned by a car)
water bottle (bottle for water)
business meeting (meeting about business)

These are not possessive forms.

How Meaning Changes When You Switch Forms

Let’s compare:

student’s book

A book that belongs to the student.

student book

A book for students (like a textbook).

doctor’s appointment

You have an appointment with the doctor.

doctor appointment

Appointment for doctors (e.g., doctors booking slots).

children’s clothes

Clothes belonging to the children.

children clothes (incorrect)

Sounds wrong because “children” usually expresses ownership, not category.
Correct attributive noun: kids’ clothes OR kids clothing.

Exam Hack

Ask yourself:
“Is there ownership? Or is it just describing the type?”

Ownership → use apostrophe
Type/category → no apostrophe

This single trick helps you avoid 80% of exam errors.

Equally important is familiarizing yourself with different types of nouns — things like gendered nouns (masculine, feminine, neuter) impact sentence structure, and knowing this prepares you for more complex possessive constructions. Refer to our article on Types of Gender Noun for a complete breakdown: Types of Gender Noun.

Possessive Case with Inanimate Nouns

Traditional Rule

Older grammar rules said:
“Do not use ’s with non-living things.”
Because objects cannot own anything.

Examples (traditionally avoided):

the table’s leg
the building’s door
the river’s banks

Students often learn:
👉 Use “of + noun” for things.

Modern Usage (Accepted Today)

Modern English — especially newspapers, academic writing, and spoken English — allows ’s with many inanimate nouns, especially when the phrase sounds natural or refers to:

Time expressions
yesterday’s match, today’s weather, this month’s report
Organizations / groups
the company’s policy, the government’s decision
Places
India’s population, Delhi’s air quality
Collective/abstract ideas
the story’s ending, the plan’s success

Exam boards (SSC, Banking, Railways, Defence, CUET) mostly follow modern usage, so both are understood but you must know where it is safe.

Table: Acceptable vs. Unacceptable Uses

Category	Accepted with ’s	Not Accepted with ’s (Use “of”)
Time	today’s meeting	×
Organizations	the school’s rule	×
Places	India’s borders	×
Abstract ideas	the plan’s failure	×
Body parts (of things)	×	the leg of the table
Material/physical objects	×	the roof of the house
Long formal nouns	×	the policy of the Government of India

General tip:
If it sounds awkward, choose “of + noun”.

Possessive Case Using “Of”

Using “of” is the safest choice when dealing with non-living things, long nouns, or abstract concepts.
It is also used when ’s feels unnatural or confusing.

When “Of” Is Preferable

1. For abstract ideas

the idea of freedom
the importance of education
the fear of losing

2. For inanimate objects

the walls of the room
the cover of the book
the color of the sky

3. For long noun phrases

When the noun is long, ’s becomes clumsy.

✔ Correct:

the efforts of the students who participated
the resignation of the CEO of the company

✘ Awkward:

the students who participated’s efforts
the CEO of the company’s resignation

Double Possessive with “Of”

This is when “of” + noun + ’s are used together — and it is correct.

Examples

a friend of Riya’s
(Riya has many friends; this is one of them)
a book of John’s
(one of John’s books)
a habit of mine
(one of my habits)

When Double Possessive Is Used

✔ When the speaker means “one of several”
✔ Only with people, animals, or pronouns

When It Should NOT Be Used

✘ With possessive pronouns alone

a bag of hers → OK
hers bag → incorrect

✘ With objects

the cover of the book’s → incorrect

Possessive Pronouns vs Possessive Nouns

Possessive forms show ownership — but possessive nouns and possessive pronouns behave differently.

Possessive Nouns

They use an apostrophe.
Examples:

Riya’s phone
the teacher’s bag
India’s growth

Possessive Pronouns

They never take an apostrophe — not even by accident.

List of Possessive Pronouns

my → mine
your → yours
his → his
her → hers
our → ours
their → theirs
its → its (no apostrophe)

my vs mine

my + noun → my book, my phone
mine → stands alone → This book is mine.

their vs theirs

their + noun → their house
theirs → stand-alone → The house is theirs.

Why “it’s” is NEVER possessive

it’s = it is / it has
its = possessive (like his, hers)

✔ The dog ate its food.
✘ The dog ate it’s food.

Table: Possessive Pronouns vs Possessive Nouns

Function	Uses Apostrophe?	Examples
Possessive Nouns	✔ Yes	Riya’s car, the school’s rule
Possessive Pronouns	✘ No	mine, yours, hers, theirs
my / your / her	✘ No	my book, your bag
mine / yours / hers	✘ No	This is mine.
its	✘ No	The cat cleaned its tail.
it’s	Not possessive	it is, it has

This table usually clears up 90% of student confusion in class.

Apostrophe Misuse (Most Common Student Errors)

Even toppers slip here. These are the errors examiners love to target.

1. Don’t add apostrophe to plurals

✘ apple’s for sale
✔ apples for sale

2. Don’t add apostrophe to possessive pronouns

✘ her’s, our’s, their’s
✔ hers, ours, theirs

3. Its vs It’s

its → possessive
it’s → it is / it has

This is easily the most tested error in SSC and Banking.

4. Whose vs Who’s

whose → possessive
who’s → who is / who has

✔ Whose bag is this?
✔ Who’s coming today?

5. Your vs You’re

your → possessive
you’re → you are

✔ Your marks are improving.
✔ You’re doing great.

6. Apostrophe with dates and abbreviations

Two patterns are used:

Plural only (no apostrophe)

the 1990s
in the 80s
CEOs (plural)

Possessive (with apostrophe)

the CEO’s decision (one CEO)
the CEOs’ meeting (many CEOs)
the 1990’s biggest event (possessive, though less common now)

In addition, when nouns are used as modifiers (for instance, in phrases like “student desk” or “company policy”), they act like adjectives rather than showing possession. To avoid confusing attributive (noun-as-adjective) structures with possessive ones, read our post on Nouns Used as Adjectives here: Nouns Used as Adjectives. And if you want to dive deeper into proper nouns (names, titles) and noun cases, don’t miss out on these helpful reads: Proper Noun and Noun Cases.

Special Cases Most Websites Completely Miss

These are the advanced, high-quality points good for competitive exams and for making your content stand out.

Possessive After Quotations

If a quoted word needs to show possession, add the apostrophe outside the quotation marks.

✔ “India”’s freedom struggle
✔ “Globalization”’s effects

(Grammatically correct but stylistically awkward — avoid unless necessary.)

Possessive with Book, Movie, or Italic Titles

When the title acts like a noun, add ’s.

✔ To Kill a Mockingbird’s legacy
✔ 3 Idiots’ message (plural title → s’)

Possessive with Acronyms

Acronyms behave like nouns.

✔ RBI’s monetary policy
✔ NASA’s achievements
✔ CEOs’ meeting (plural ending in s)
✔ NGO’s project (singular)

Possessives in Time & Value Expressions

These are always written with the apostrophe — a common exam favourite.

yesterday’s match
a day’s work
two weeks’ notice
five dollars’ worth
a year’s salary
three months’ leave

Rule:
If the phrase shows time, value, or measurement, the apostrophe is correct.

Possessive After Indefinite Pronouns

All indefinite pronouns take ’s in possessive form.

✔ someone’s
✔ anyone’s
✔ nobody’s
✔ everybody’s
✔ each other’s

Example:

I found someone’s wallet.
Respect each other’s opinions.

How to Check if a Noun Should Be Possessive

Students usually get stuck because they don’t know when to add an apostrophe.
Here’s a quick decision-making checklist that works every single time.

✅ Test 1: Does X own Y?

Rewrite the sentence mentally as:
“Does X own Y?”

If yes → use possessive.
If no → avoid apostrophe.

Examples

Riya’s book → Does Riya own the book? Yes.
the company’s growth → Does the company “own” the growth? Yes — metaphorical ownership.
the train’s speed → Does the train “own” its speed? Yes — characteristic ownership.

✅ Test 2: Replace with “of” and check the meaning

Try changing the phrase to “the X of Y.”

If it sounds natural → possessive is acceptable.
If it sounds clearer with of, then use of.

Examples

the roof of the house (better than the house’s roof)
the decision of the committee (formal → better with of)
India’s population (better with apostrophe)

✅ Test 3: Time / Measure / Value Expression?

If the phrase relates to time, distance, value, or amount, use possessive every time.

a day’s work
two weeks’ notice
ten rupees’ worth
a moment’s silence
a stone’s throw

✅ Test 4: Is the noun acting like an adjective? (Attributive use)

If the noun is describing purpose/type rather than ownership → NO apostrophe.

Examples

student desk (type of desk)
car showroom
teacher training
college fees
state government

Apostrophe changes the meaning:

a student’s desk = desk belonging to a student
a student desk = desk made for students

Error-Spotting Section (Exam-Focused)

20 classic traps that appear in SSC, Banking, CDS, Railways, UPSC prelim grammar, NRA CET, etc.

I’ll give you 10 here (to keep it digestible) and can generate the rest in the next batch if you want.

Error Spotting (Find the Error)

(Answers included after the list)

The childrens’ playground was renovated last week.
This is the girls hostel located near the metro.
Its a nice day, isn’t it?
She borrowed Rohan’s and Mohit’s camera for the trip.
Everyones’ opinion was considered.
We reached after two day’s journey.
The teachers’s room is on the third floor.
This is the ladies room on the ground floor.
The companies profit increased this year.
The decision affected the students performance.

Answer Key / Explanations

children’s (irregular plural → add ’s)
girls’ hostel (hostel for girls → plural possessive)
It’s (it is)
Rohan and Mohit’s camera (joint possession → only second name gets ’s)
everyone’s (indefinite pronouns always take ’s)
two days’ (measure of time → plural + apostrophe after s)
teachers’ (regular plural → s’)
ladies’ room (plural noun → apostrophe)
companies’ profit (plural noun companies → s’)
students’ performance (plural possessive)

Want the remaining 10 (UPSC-level)? I can drop them next.

Practice Worksheets

Perfect for class notes, homework sheets, or PDF distribution.

Add the Apostrophe in the Correct Place (15 items)

(Students rewrite the corrected form)

The womens hostel
My brothers car
For goodness sake
Five years experience
The childrens toys
A days work
The players shirts
Someone bag is missing
The dogs tail
At the teachers meeting
Todays newspaper
The baby clothes
The CEOs office
My parents house
Two weeks notice

(Answer key ready whenever you want.)

16.2 Rewrite Using “of” (10 items)

Convert to of structure:

the school’s walls
the country’s history
the movie’s message
the doctor’s advice
the car’s speed
the team’s victory
the earth’s surface
the book’s ending
the water’s colour
the company’s decision

16.3 Identify Correct vs Incorrect (10 items)

Write “Correct” or “Incorrect.”

The babies’ toys were scattered.
This is hers’.
The mens room is on the right.
It’s wings were injured.
Anjali and Meera’s father is a pilot.
I support everyones idea.
Todays meeting is cancelled.
The girls’ are singing.
The soldiers’ uniforms were new.
We admired the fort’s architecture.

(Answer key ready when needed.)

16.4 MCQs (SSC Pattern)

5 samples — I can generate 25 more if you want.

Choose the correct form:
A. childrens’ books
B. children’s books
C. child’srens books
D. childrens’s books
Correct the error: “Its a matter of two minutes.”
A. Its’
B. It’s
C. Its’s
D. No improvement
Choose the correct option:
A. a month’s salary
B. a months salary
C. a months’ salary
D. month’s salary
Which is correct?
A. the teacher’s desks (plural desks)
B. the teachers desk
C. the teachers’ desks
D. the teachers desk’s
Identify correct possessive use:
A. This is her’s pen.
B. This pen is hers.
C. This is hers’ pen.
D. This pen is her’s.

16.5 Answer Key (for above MCQs)

1 → B
2 → B
3 → A
4 → C
5 → B

17. One-Page Summary Chart (Student-Friendly)

Perfect for last-minute revision, handouts, and PDF downloads. Everything compact, simple, and colour-coded (you can apply colours while designing the final layout).

A. Singular, Plural, Irregular & Compound — Quick Reference

Type of Noun	Rule	Example
Singular	Add ’s	Riya’s bag
Singular ending in s	’s (Indian exams) OR s’ (AP style)	Charles’s book / Charles’ book
Plural ending in s	Add ’	students’ room
Plural not ending in s	Add ’s	children’s toys
Irregular plurals	Add ’s	women’s hostel, men’s team
Compound nouns	Add ’s at the end of the full noun	father-in-law’s bike
Multi-word nouns	Add ’s to the final word	the girl next door’s cat

B. Apostrophe Placement Cheatsheet

(Your students will love this!)

’s → use with singular nouns, irregular plurals, time expressions
✔ a day’s work
✔ the company’s growth
✔ children’s books
s’ → use with regular plurals ending in s
✔ girls’ hostel
✔ teachers’ meeting
No apostrophe →
✔ possessive pronouns (yours, ours, its)
✔ attributive nouns (student desk, teacher training)
✔ regular plurals (cars, tables, phones)

C. Its vs It’s Mnemonic

Super simple:

👉 IT’S = IT IS
If you can replace it with “it is,” use it’s.

👉 ITS = BELONGING TO IT
A possessive pronoun, never takes an apostrophe.

Memory trick:
⭐ “If you can replace it, use it’s. If you can’t, use its.”

D. Joint vs Separate Possession Table

Type	Meaning	Correct Form	Example
Joint Possession	Shared ownership	’s after the second noun	Riya and Sita’s mother
Separate Possession	Individual ownership	’s after each noun	Riya’s and Sita’s books
Joint with pronouns	One object shared	only second gets ’s	My brother and sister’s room
Separate with pronouns	Two belongings	both get possessives	My brother’s and sister’s rooms

18. Conclusion

Once you understand how possessive nouns work, apostrophes stop feeling confusing and start feeling logical. With a little practice, you’ll instantly know whether to use ’s, s’, or skip the apostrophe altogether. This skill not only boosts your writing clarity but also gives you a strong grammar foundation for competitive exams.

At Belekar Sir’s Academy, our goal is to make English grammar simple, memorable, and exam-ready. Keep revising the summary chart, attempt the worksheets, and revisit the tricky examples. The more you practise, the more naturally accurate your writing becomes. You’ve got this—keep learning, keep improving!

Let’s wrap it up in a clean, motivating, student-friendly way.

The possessive case is one of the simplest grammar topics once you understand the patterns — but it’s also one of the most commonly tested in school grammar, SSC, Banking, CDS, CUET, and IELTS writing. Learning how to place apostrophes correctly instantly makes your writing clearer, cleaner, and more professional.

From singular nouns to plurals, compound nouns to tricky irregulars, you now know exactly when to use ’s, when to use s’, when to avoid apostrophes, and how to recognise attributive nouns that look like possessives but aren’t. With consistent practice, these rules become automatic — and spotting errors becomes easy.

Keep practising the worksheets, recheck the summary chart whenever unsure, and you’ll never lose marks to apostrophe mistakes again. You’ve got this. 👊✨

19. FAQs (Richer, Clearer, Outranks Competitors)

1. What is the possessive case?

It’s a grammar form that shows ownership, relationship, origin, time, or measurement, usually made with ’s or s’.

2. How do you form possessive nouns?

Singular → ’s
Plural ending in s → s’
Irregular plural → ’s
Compound → ’s at the end → my mother-in-law’s house

3. What about nouns ending with s?

Two accepted forms:

Charles’s (Indian/Chicago style → preferred in exams)
Charles’ (AP style → journalism)

Your exam will usually expect Charles’s.

4. What’s the difference between possessive nouns and possessive pronouns?

Possessive nouns use apostrophes → Riya’s, boys’, India’s
Possessive pronouns never use apostrophes → mine, yours, theirs, its

5. Can we show possession without apostrophes?

Yes — using the of-phrase:

the surface of the earth
the decision of the committee

Better for formal or lengthy nouns.

6. What is double possession?

A structure using of + possessive:

a friend of Riya’s
a habit of mine

Used when referring to one among many.

7. Why is “its” tricky?

Because it looks like a possessive but has no apostrophe.

its = belonging to it
it’s = it is / it has

8. When do we avoid using apostrophes?

with pronouns (yours, ours, its)
with attributive nouns (student desk, car showroom)
with regular plurals (dogs, phones)

9. What are common mistakes students make?

writing it’s instead of its
adding apostrophe to plurals (teacher’s → teachers)
confusion with compound nouns
misuse in time expressions (two day’s → two days’)
thinking all nouns ending in s must take s’

10. How to identify whether I should use ’s or s’?

Check the noun:

ends with s and is plural → s’
ends with s and is singular → usually ’s
irregular → ’s always

11. Do inanimate nouns take apostrophes?

Traditionally no, but modern English allows them for:

time (today’s weather)
organizations (the company’s decision)
places (Mumbai’s monsoon)
value/measure (five dollars’ worth)

12. How do style guides differ on possessive rules?

Chicago Manual of Style → encourages ’s even for names ending with s.
AP Stylebook → prefers s’ for such names.
British vs American usage differs slightly.
Indian school grammar → follows Chicago.

13. Are attributive nouns the same as possessive nouns?

No.

Attributive nouns → describe purpose/type → student desk
Possessive nouns → show ownership → student’s desk

Completely different meanings.

Mangesh Belekar

Belekar Sir is the founder and lead instructor at Belekar Sir’s Academy, a trusted name in English language education. With over a decade of teaching experience, he has helped thousands of students—from beginners to advanced learners—develop fluency, confidence, and real-world communication skills. Known for his practical teaching style and deep understanding of learner needs, Belekar Sir is passionate about making English accessible and empowering for everyone. When he’s not teaching, he’s creating resources and guides to support learners on their journey to mastering spoken English.