Showing that somebody owns something
Here is a long way to say it.
“the kite that belongs to Ava”
Six words. Here is the short way.
“Ava’s kite”
Two words, and it means the same thing. That little mark and the s did all the work.
The rule
To show that somebody owns something, add an apostrophe and an s to the owner.
An apostrophe looks like this: ‘
A noun with an apostrophe and s on it is called a possessive noun.
| The long way | The short way |
|---|---|
| the cup that belongs to Leo | Leo’s cup |
| the bowl that belongs to the dog | the dog’s bowl |
| the bike that belongs to my brother | my brother’s bike |
| the bread that belongs to the baker | the baker’s bread |
Which word gets the mark
This is worth slowing down for. The apostrophe goes on the owner. It does not go on the thing being owned.
In “Leo’s cup”, who owns something? Leo does. So “Leo” gets the mark.
The cup does not own anything. It just sits there. It stays plain.
Words to know
- apostrophe: the small mark that goes before the s
- possessive noun: a naming word that shows who owns something
Your turn
Write the short way.
- “the hat that belongs to Ben”
- “the nest that belongs to the bird”
- “the room that belongs to my sister”
Check your answers
- “Ben’s hat”
- “the bird’s nest”
- “my sister’s room”
Remember
- Add an apostrophe and an s to show that somebody owns something.
- The mark goes on the owner.
- The thing being owned stays plain.