What Is a Possessive Noun? How to Use Possessive Nouns

In the English language, possessive nouns are types of nouns that show ownership or connection. A noun is a word that refers to a person, place, or thing. Singular nouns refer to one such thing, while plural nouns refer to more than one. A proper noun refers to a specific person, like the American president, or place, like New York.

All nouns become possessive nouns with the addition of an apostrophe and a suffix—the letter “s”—at the end of the word. However, when a plural noun ends in the letter “s,” the possessive form of the word only requires the use of an apostrophe at the end.

Possessive nouns can be tricky for new learners—like those studying English as a second language (ESL)—because they function like adjectives by modifying another noun or pronoun in the sentence. However, a few simple rules regarding the right use of an apostrophe and the letter “s” can help new learners navigate the challenges of using possessive nouns.

Here are a few types of possessive nouns:

1. 1. Irregular possessive nouns: An irregular noun is a noun that changes its spelling in its plural form, such as “man” and “men.” An irregular possessive noun follows the same English grammar as a regular plural noun by adding an apostrophe and the letter “s” to the end of the word. If irregular plural nouns end in an “s,” such as “knives,” it only requires an apostrophe.
2. 2. Possessive pronouns: Also known as absolute or strong possessive pronouns, a possessive pronoun is a pronoun that indicates possession. Examples of possessive pronouns include “mine,” “theirs,” “yours,” and “hers.” Additionally, several independent possessive pronouns do not need the additional letter “s” or an apostrophe, such as “my” and “her.”
3. 3. Plural possessive nouns: A plural possessive noun expresses ownership by more than one person, place, or thing. As with regular plural words, it becomes a possessive noun with the use of possessive apostrophes and the letter “s.” Examples of plural possessive pronouns include “our,” “your,” and “their.” Plural possessive nouns that end in the letter “s” only use apostrophes—“loaves’” or “parents’” for example.
4. 4. Singular possessive nouns: A singular possessive noun refers to one person, place, or thing with ownership or a connection to another element in the sentence. Their possessive form requires the addition of an apostrophe and the letter “s.” Here is an example of a singular possessive noun: “Timmy’s dog is cute.”

Here are several different examples of possessive nouns:

1. 1. Irregular possessive nouns: An irregular possessive noun changes its spelling to show possession. Examples of phrases that use an irregular possessive noun include “women’s rights,” “octopi’s tentacles,” and “knives’ blades.”
2. 2. Possessive pronouns: There are seven absolute or strong possessive pronouns: “mine,” “ours,” “yours,” “its,” “his,” “hers,” and “their.” Several of these possessive pronouns are also weak possessive pronouns: “my,” “our,” and “your.”
3. 3. Plural possessive nouns: Plural possessive nouns add an apostrophe and the suffix “s” to a word to indicate possession. Examples of plural possessive nouns include “the Smiths’ house” and “horses’ hooves.”
4. 4. Singular possessive nouns: A singular possessive noun indicates the ownership of one person, place, or thing. Here are a few examples of singular possessive nouns: “teacher’s lesson plans” and “classroom’s printable worksheets.”

There are several tips for the proper use of possessive nouns:

• Compound possessive: A compound word uses two or more words to create a new word, while a compound possessive uses two or more words to indicate ownership. If the compound word creates a new single entity—for example, “Bill and Jane’s new car”—you only need to add the apostrophe and letter “s” to the second noun. If the compound word does not indicate a single entity, as in Bill and Jane each have a new car, then add the apostrophes and letter “s” to both nouns.
• S sound: When a possessive noun ends with the suffix “s,” there are two schools of thought regarding how to pronounce the noun. Some grammar scholars say that you should not pronounce the “s” sound—for example, speakers should say “car’s horn” and “cars’ horns” in the same way. Others say it’s correct to add phonetic suffixes—for example, speakers should pronounce “James’s pencil” as “Jamez-es pencil.” Both schools of thought are acceptable.
• Inanimate objects: There are two schools of thought regarding whether inanimate objects can be possessive nouns, as in the following sentence: “The desk’s leg was wobbly.” Depending on the source, it is both acceptable and incorrect to form the possessive for inanimate objects. Others suggest that it’s only incorrect if there is an already accepted idiom (e.g., “the family’s head” instead of “the head of the family”).
• Time: It’s possible to say “10 years’ experience” about a duration of time if it refers to ownership. However, it may sound less awkward to say “10 years of experience.” Again, both are acceptable.

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