Apostrophe review
Rule #1: Apostrophes show possession I borrowed Martha’s mitt. Julia’s canoe needs painting. Lydia’s cousin is in town.
A girl’s notebook. The inventor’s sketch. 1. Add apostrophe and “s” to show the possessive of most singular nouns. A girl’s notebook. The inventor’s sketch.
Three girls’ notebooks The nurses’ passes 2. Add an apostrophe to show the possessive of plural nouns ending in “s” Three girls’ notebooks The nurses’ passes
The children’s toys. The mice’s home Three men’s watches. 3. Add an apostrophe and “s” to show the possessive case of plural nouns that do not end in “s” The children’s toys. The mice’s home Three men’s watches.
4. Make the last word in a compound noun possessive. 1. Red Cross’ volunteers 2. My sister-in-law’s book 3. The station wagon’s driver
Treat time and amount like other possessives A month’s vacation Two months’ vacation A dollar’s worth of gas
Joint and Individual Ownership To show joint ownership, add an apostrophe and “s” to the last noun of a series. Keller and Schimdt’s family house (They own it together. To show individual ownership, add an apostrophe plus “s” to each noun Karen’s and Sue’s report (They each did their own.)