UWF Writing Lab Grammar Skills Series #8 Possessives UWF Writing Lab Grammar Skills Series #8 From Real Good Grammar, Too by Mamie Webb Hixon PowerPoint Created by Shea Kelly Last Updated Spring 2017

Use ’s (apostrophe + s) . . . To make a noun possessive: Alex’s laundry The cat’s meow Men’s room My boss’s desk To make a word used as a word plural: No if’s, and’s, or but’s about it Straight A’s

Use s’ (s + apostrophe) . . . To make a noun plural AND possessive: Two cents’ worth Presidents’ Day To make SOME proper nouns that end in s possessive (if the extra syllable of ‘s would obstruct the sound): Pericles’ age Mr. Phelps’ dissertation

Do not use an apostrophe . . . To make pronouns possessive: Her/Hers Their/Theirs Its Your/Yours ***Bonus knowledge*** Use possessive pronouns before gerunds (-ing nouns): I appreciated his looking out. Also . . .