UNIT P1(b): THE APOSTROPHE (POSSESSION)

Example:

• That is Jack’s chair

There are two nouns, Jack and chair. Notice that the noun owned, chair does not change shape at all. Only the owner noun, Jack changes. It doesn’t matter what Jack owns (or what any other ‘owner noun’ owns - whether it be ‘a fleet of cars’ or ‘a higher degree’) these ‘nouns owned’ never change. It is the owner noun which ‘possesses’ and which will therefore need the apostrophe.

It is best to think of the ‘noun owned’ as being of the ‘owner noun’.

Examples :

1. I love McDonald’s burgers (the burgers of McDonald)
2. Terry’s folder is grubby (the folder of Terry).

Sometimes ownership seems a strange description of the relationship between the owner noun and the noun owned.

Examples :

1. Michael’s greed (the greed of Michael)
2. the ocean’s depth (the depth of the ocean)
3. the baby’s birth (the birth of the baby)

Nevertheless it is still best to think of the relationship between the two nouns as an owner / owned relationship.

Until now we have only looked at singular owner nouns (to which we add ’s) . Remember, whether the owned noun is singular or plural is irrelevant - it remains unchanged.

PLURAL OWNERS

In the following sentence it is only the position of the apostrophe which will indicate whether the owner noun is singular or plural:

• The nurses assistants were well trained.

If we put the apostrophe before the s in nurses (nurse’s), we are indicating a single nurse as owner. To indicate that we are referring to more than one nurse, we have to put the apostrophe after the s (nurses’).

In fact we are simply adding ’s to the plural owner as we would to a singular owner :

nurses’s

but because this produces too many 'sss' sounds, we leave off the final s.

In the sentence :

• I like my brothers girlfriends.

the same question arises : is the owner noun singular or plural?

• I like my brother’s girlfriends. (one brother with several girlfriends)
• I like my brothers’ girlfriends. (several brothers with a girlfriend each or with several girlfriends each)

Notice then, that if an apostrophe is not used, the meaning of an expression can be ambiguous.

In the following sentences, identify the owner noun and choose where the apostrophe goes; before the s for singular owners and after the s for plural owners. Don't forget to click the "Go back" button each time!

Never change the shape of the noun owned.

1. She admired the curve of the swans wings. (singular)
2. She admired the curve of the swans wings. (plural)
3. The familys luggage had been lost.
4. We packed the orchestras instruments. (singular)
5. We packed the orchestras instruments. (plural)
6. I am owed four months pay.
7. The babies meals were laid out in the nursery.
8. We all appreciate Jims sense of humour.
9. At 11 o’clock we will have two minutes silence.
10. The vet examined the monkeys tail.
11. The priests long, purple and gold robe was distinctive.
12. They were astonished by the models new bobbed hairstyle. (singular)

You have now demonstrated that you understand the different positions of the apostrophe to indicate whether the owner noun is singular or plural.

However there are a few exceptions to the rule.

1. IRREGULAR PLURAL NOUNS

Some plural nouns are not marked by s.

Examples:
Singular	Plural
man	men
woman	women
child	children
ox	oxen
mouse	mice
sheep	sheep

Because there is no problem here of too much ssss sound (as there would be in e.g. the dogs’s paws), we can simply treat these irregular plural nouns as if they were singular :

Examples:
Singular	Plural
the man’s temper	the men’s tempers
the woman’s job	the women’s jobs
the child’s tantrums	the children’s tantrums
an ox’s lifespan	the oxen’s lifespan
the mouse’s cage	the mice’s cage
the sheep’s wool	the sheep’s wool

 

2. OWNERS WHO OWN NOTHING

   Examples:

   1. Let’s go to your’s (‘house’ is omitted).
   2. I prefer Cadbury’s. (‘chocolate’ is omitted)
   3. I’ll be waiting at the Dry Cleaner’s. (‘shop’ is omitted)
   4. Everyone had a good time at the Bensons’. (‘house’ is omitted).

   In these cases, treat the owner noun just as you would if the noun owned was given.

3. THE SPECIAL CASE OF 'its' - Omission / Possession

   We can use its in two ways :

   Use	Example:	Notes
   Omission	It’s getting cloudy.	Here the omitted letter i is indicated by the apostrophe
   Possession	The kitten has hurt its leg.	Here, its is a reference to the kitten which ‘owns’ the leg.

   If we followed the rule for the apostrophe (possession), we would get :

   • The kitten has hurt it’s leg. (INCORRECT)

   The problem here is that the reader would have to work out whether it’s means it is or belonging to.

   It is, of course, obvious in this case but, take the sentence :

   • In this job, routine has its advantages but its monotony gets you down.

   The reader has to do a ‘double-take’: is the meaning of the second its -

           ‘it is monotony‘ etc.

               or

           ‘the monotony of routine’?

   So as to avoid this ambiguity, it’s (with apostrophe) is EXCLUSIVELY used to mean it is.

   Where possession is indicated, make no changes at all.

   Thus,

           I feel it’s wrong (it is)

               but

           Its odour is disgusting (the odour of it).

SUMMARY

1. When the apostrophe is used to show possession, only the owner noun is changed.

• the shoes’ laces.

2. If the owner noun is singular, the apostrophe goes before the s.

• the dog’s paw.

3. If the owner noun is plural, the apostrophe goes after the s.

• the dogs’ paws.

4. If the owner noun is an irregular plural, treat it like a singular noun.

• children’s toys.

5. If the noun owned is missing, treat the owner noun in the usual way.

• I’m going to the hairdresser’s.

6. Its is a special case : there is no apostrophe to show possession.

• I bought it because I like its colour.

In the following sentences choose whether the given words need apostrophes and where they should go. Don't forget to click the "Go back" button each time!

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