Possessive 's use
Possessive 's shows possession with a name or noun: John's bag, my sister's house, my parents' dog. It is most often used with people, animals, relatives, names, and groups of people.
This is Joanna's T-shirt.
I am using my mom's laptop.
My parents' dog is so playful.
What is the price of the laptop?
Possessive 's Form
The form depends on the possessor: a name, a singular noun, a regular plural noun, or an irregular plural noun.
| Possessor | Form | Example |
| a name or singular noun | 's | Mila's T-shirt / my sister's house |
| a plural noun ending in -s | ' | my parents' dog / the teachers' room |
| an irregular plural without -s | 's | the children's toys / the men's jackets |
| a singular noun ending in -s | 's | my boss's car / James's phone |
| two people and one shared thing | 's on the second name | Jill and Greg's room |
| things and abstract nouns | of + noun | the price of the laptop / the name of the book |
person + 's + possession
plural noun ending in -s + ' + possession
possession + of + thing
Possessive 's or of?
| Better to use | When | Example |
| 's / ' | people, animals, relatives, names, groups of people | David's painting / the dog's bowl |
| of | things, parts of things, prices, titles | the screen of the laptop / the title of the book |
Possessive 's Rule
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Add 's to a name or a singular noun.
It is my son's phone.
This is Joanna's T-shirt.
The teacher's desk is near the window.
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If a regular plural noun already ends in -s, add only an apostrophe: parents', friends', teachers'.
My parents' dog is so playful.
We visited our friends' house.
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If the plural is irregular and does not end in -s, add 's: children's, men's, women's, people's.
The children's toys are on the floor.
The women's coats are in the hall.
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If a singular noun ends in -s, the learning-friendly form is 's: my boss's car. Some styles use only an apostrophe, but for exercises 's is clearer.
It is my boss's car.
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If two people share one thing, add 's only to the second name.
Jill and Greg's room is upstairs.
Anna and Mark's car is blue.
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If each person has their own thing, add the possessive form to each name. The noun after it is often plural.
Jill's and Greg's rooms are upstairs.
Anna's and Mark's laptops are on the table.
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For things, we often use of + noun, especially for prices, titles, and parts of things.
The price of the laptop is too high.
What is the name of the book?
The screen of the phone is broken.
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's can also be used with organizations, animals, and time expressions when it sounds natural.
The company's website is easy to use.
The dog's bowl is empty.
Yesterday's lesson was useful.
Possessive 's Questions
To ask about possession, use Whose...?. In the answer, you can use possessive 's or a possessive pronoun.
Whose + noun + is it?
Whose + noun + are they?
It is + person's/name's + noun.
A: Whose phone is it?
B: It is my son's phone.
A: Whose laptop are you using?
B: I am using my mom's laptop.
A: Whose dog is this?
B: It is my parents' dog.
A: Whose painting did the teacher like?
B: The teacher liked David's painting.
Possessive 's Common mistakes
Common mistakes involve a missing apostrophe, the wrong plural form, and confusing possessive 's with regular plural -s.
❌ I am using my mom laptop.
✅ I am using my mom's laptop.
❌ The teacher liked painting David.
✅ The teacher liked David's painting.
❌ My parents's dog is playful.
✅ My parents' dog is playful.
❌ The childrens' toys are on the floor.
✅ The children's toys are on the floor.
❌ It is my boss' car.
✅ It is my boss's car.
❌ What is the laptop price?
✅ What is the price of the laptop?
❌ John bag is on the chair.
✅ John's bag is on the chair.
❌ Jill's and Greg's room is upstairs. (one shared room)
✅ Jill and Greg's room is upstairs.
❌ The book's name is difficult. (better for beginner level)
✅ The name of the book is difficult.
❌ Whose phone is it? It is my son phone.
✅ Whose phone is it? It is my son's phone.
Possessive 's Sentences
This is Joanna's T-shirt.
My sister's house is near the park.
Mila's phone is on the sofa.
My parents' dog is very playful.
It is my boss's car.
Jill and Greg's room is upstairs.
The children's books are on the shelf.
The price of the laptop is too high.
What is the name of the book?
The dog's bed is in the kitchen.
Yesterday's meeting was short.
Whose jacket is this? It is Anna's jacket.
Possessive 's Examples
I borrowed my brother's bike because my bike was broken.
Sarah's keys are on the table, but Mark's keys are in the car.
My grandparents' garden is full of flowers.
The students' tests were very difficult.
The children's parents are waiting outside.
My friend's apartment is bigger than mine.
The company's new office is in London.
The end of the film was surprising.
Next week's lesson will be about questions.
Whose backpack is on the floor? It is Tom's.
