Possessive Nouns
Showing possession with nouns shows ownership of an object or idea. It also demonstrates a close relationship between two ideas or concepts.
In most cases, only add an 's to a noun for possession.
Add 's
Susie's sea shells. John's wrist watch.
The exception to this rule is plural nouns that end in -s or -z. In these cases, only use the apostrophe.
Paris' lights. Charles' cup of coffee.
Apostrophe Only
Sometimes the possessive plural makes the sentence sound awkward. In this case, change the word order.
Reeves' writings. The writings of Reeves. The book's top. The top of the book.
Joint Ownership or the Ownership of Two or More
If you are showing possession for joint ownership, or ownership of two or more objects by two or more entities, designate ownership by each.
My mother and father's car. Amy's and Sue's purses.
Next Week
Next week...Non-Verb Agreement.
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