Possessive case

The Possessive Case in English grammar is used to show ownership or possession. It typically indicates that something belongs to someone or something else.

Definition:

The possessive case involves adding an apostrophe (') and sometimes an s to a noun to indicate that it owns or is associated with something. For singular nouns, you add 's. For plural nouns that already end in s, you just add the apostrophe ( ' ).

Examples:

Singular Possessive:

• The dog's bone (The bone belongs to the dog.)
• John's book (The book belongs to John.)

Plural Possessive:

• The dogs' bones (The bones belong to the dogs.)
• The teachers' lounge (The lounge belongs to the teachers.)

Irregular Plural Possessive:

• The children's toys (The toys belong to the children.)
• The men's jackets (The jackets belong to the men.)

The possessive case in English grammar shows ownership or possession. To form the possessive case, you generally follow these rules:

For Singular Nouns: Add an apostrophe and an 's' to the end of a singular noun.

Example:

• The cat’s toy (The toy of the cat)
• Sarah’s book (The book of Sarah)

For Plural Nouns Ending in "s": For plural nouns that already end in 's', add only an apostrophe.

Example:

• The dogs’ collars (The collars of the dogs)
• The teachers’ lounge (The lounge of the teachers)

For Plural Nouns Not Ending in "s": For plural nouns that do not end in 's', add an apostrophe and an "s".

Example:

• The children’s toys (The toys of the children)
• The men’s shoes (The shoes of the men)

For Compound Nouns: For compound nouns, add the possessive form to the last word of the compound.

Example:

• My brother-in-law’s car
• The editor-in-chief’s decision

For Proper Nouns: When a proper noun is singular, add an apostrophe and 's'. For plural proper nouns, add only an apostrophe.

Example:

• James’s house (The house of James)
• The Smiths’ vacation (The vacation of the Smiths)

For Indicating Time or Measurement: The possessive case can also show time or measurement.

Example:

• A day’s work
• A week’s vacation

Possessive case is used to show ownership or relationship. When we use it with objects, the possessive case typically indicates that an object belongs to someone or something. Here's how you can use the possessive case with objects:

1. Singular Possessive: For singular nouns, add an apostrophe and 's' (‘s) to show possession.

Example:

• The car’s door (The door of the car).
  "Car" is singular, so we add an apostrophe + s to indicate that the door belongs to the car.

2. Plural Possessive: For plural nouns that end in s, just add an apostrophe after the s.

Example:

• The dogs’ toys (The toys of the dogs).
  "Dogs" is plural and ends in **s**, so we only add an apostrophe.

For plural nouns that do not end in s, add an apostrophe and s.

Example:

• The children’s books (The books of the children).
  "Children" is irregular plural, so we add apostrophe + s to show possession.

3. With Objects: When using possessive case with objects, you are indicating that the object belongs to someone or something. The object could be a thing, place, or item.

Example:

• I like Sarah’s pen. (The pen belonging to Sarah)
• That is my sister’s bag. (The bag belonging to my sister)
• The teacher’s desk is organized. (The desk of the teacher)

4. Possession of Non-Living Things: In some cases, possession of non-living things can also be exdivssed using possessive forms, but it’s more common to use phrases with "of".

Example:

• The car’s engine (The engine of the car)

In formal or academic writing, the "of" construction is often divferred for non-living objects, while the possessive form (‘s) is used more frequently in casual or conversational contexts.

Key Points:

• For singular nouns, add 's (e.g., the book's cover).
• For plural nouns ending in s, add only ' (e.g., the books' covers).
• For irregular plurals, add 's (e.g., the children’s toys).

The possessive case in English grammar shows ownership or a relationship between a noun and another noun. To form the possessive case, follow these rules:

1. For Singular Nouns: Add **'s** to the end of the noun.

Example:

• : *The dog's bone* (The bone belonging to the dog).

2. For Plural Nouns Ending in "s": Add only an apostrophe **'** after the plural noun.

Example:

• : *The dogs' toys* (The toys belonging to the dogs).

3. For Plural Nouns Not Ending in "s": Add **'s** after the plural noun.

Example:

• : *The children's books* (The books belonging to the children).

4. For Compound Nouns: Add **'s** to the end of the compound noun (the last word).

Example:

• : *My sister-in-law's car* (The car belonging to my sister-in-law).

5. For Names Ending in "s": It's a matter of style whether to add just an apostrophe or **'s**. Both are generally accepted.

Example:

• 1: *James' book* or *James's book* (The book belonging to James).

6. For Multiple Possessions: Use **'s** for each noun when each person or thing owns something separately.

Example:

• : *John's and Mary's cars* (Each person owns a car).

If they share ownership, add **'s** to the last noun. - Example: *John and Mary's car* (They share one car).

Possessive pronouns in English grammar show ownership or possession. They replace nouns and indicate that something belongs to someone or something. The possessive pronouns are:

1. Mine – Indicates that something belongs to the speaker.

• This book is mine.

2. Yours – Indicates that something belongs to the person you're talking to.

• Is this pen yours?

3. His – Indicates that something belongs to a male person or animal.

• The car is his.

4. Hers – Indicates that something belongs to a female person or animal.

• The bag is hers.

5. Its – Indicates that something belongs to an animal or thing (inanimate objects or animals).

• The cat licked its paw.

6. Ours – Indicates that something belongs to a group that includes the speaker.

• The house is ours.

7. Theirs – Indicates that something belongs to a group of people or things.

• The bicycles are theirs.

Possessive adjectives are words that show ownership or possession. They modify nouns to indicate who owns or possesses something. In English, the possessive adjectives are:

• My (referring to something belonging to the speaker)
• Your (referring to something belonging to the person you're speaking to)
• His (referring to something belonging to a male subject)
• Her (referring to something belonging to a female subject)
• Its (referring to something belonging to an object or animal)
• Our (referring to something belonging to the speaker and others)
• Your (referring to something belonging to the people you're speaking to, plural form)
• Their (referring to something belonging to other people)

Examples:

• My book is on the table.
• Your car is parked outside.
• His dog is very friendly.
• Her house is beautiful.
• The cat chased its tail.
• Our team won the game.
• Your children are playing in the yard.
• Their project was successful.

In English grammar, a double possessive (also known as a "double genitive") is a construction where both a possessive form (using an apostrophe + "s") and a divposition ("of") are used to indicate possession. It is often used to emphasize ownership or association, and it usually follows a pattern like:

"A's of B" or "A's B's".

Example:

• This is John's friend's book.
  (This shows that the book belongs to John's friend.)
• That was Sarah's brother's car.
  (This means that the car belongs to Sarah's brother.)

When to use double possessives:

1. To indicate possession of a possession: This is common when the possession involves an indirect or secondary possessor.

• The teacher's student's homework (The homework of the teacher’s student).

2. With proper names or phrases: This is often used when referring to people or specific entities.

• The king's advisor's opinion (The opinion of the king’s advisor).

### Key point: - Double possessives are used more frequently in informal or spoken English. They help make a sentence sound more natural when the object of possession is distant or less direct.

Joint and individual possession refer to the way ownership is expressed when talking about more than one person or thing.

1. Joint Possession: This refers to two or more people owning something together, with the implication that they share it. The possessive form is typically shown by adding an apostrophe and s only to the last person in the group.

Example:

• John and Sarah's house
  (meaning both John and Sarah own the house together).

2. Individual Possession:This refers to each person owning something separately, not shared with others. The possessive form is shown by adding an apostrophe **and** **s** to each person's name.

Example:

• John's and Sarah's houses
  (meaning John has one house, and Sarah has another house).

In summary:

• Joint Possession: The apostrophe is added only to the last person's name (e.g., "John and Sarah's house").
• Individual Possession: The apostrophe is added to each person's name (e.g., "John's and Sarah's houses").

When using the possessive case in English grammar, here are some common mistakes to avoid:

1. Confusing Apostrophes with Plurals:

• ✘ The books's cover is torn.
• ✓ The book's cover is torn.

Explanation: The apostrophe is used for possession, not for forming plurals. "Books" is plural, but "book's" shows possession.

2. Using Apostrophe for Non-Possessive Plurals:

• ✘ I bought three cat's.
• ✓ I bought three cats.

Explanation: No apostrophe is needed when forming a plural, only when indicating possession.

3. Using Apostrophe with Possessive Pronouns:

• ✘ This is my friend's book.
• ✓ This is my friends' book.

Explanation: Possessive pronouns (his, hers, theirs) don't need an apostrophe.

4. Misplacing Apostrophe for Plural Possession:

• ✘ The dog's are barking.
• ✓ The dogs are barking.

Explanation: The apostrophe should not be used when the plural form is not possessive.

5. Omitting Apostrophes for Singular Possessives:

• ✘ The dogs house is big.
• ✓ The dog's house is big.

Explanation: Singular possessive nouns require an apostrophe before the "s."

6. Adding Apostrophe to Possessive Plural Nouns Ending in "s":

• ✘ The girls's toys are new.
• ✓ The girls' toys are new.

Explanation: For plural nouns ending in "s," just add the apostrophe without an extra "s."

7. Incorrect Placement of Apostrophes in Compound Possessives:

• ✘ John's and Mary's car is parked outside.
• ✓ John's and Mary's cars are parked outside.

Explanation: When multiple people own something together, use the apostrophe after the last person's name. If each person owns something separately, use apostrophes for both.

8. Confusing Its and It’s:

• ✘ The dog wagged it’s tail.
• ✓ The dog wagged its tail.

Explanation: "It’s" means "it is" or "it has," while "its" is the possessive form.

Here are some examples of the possessive case:

1. Singular Possessive:

• The dog's tail is wagging.
• Sarah's book is on the table.
• The teacher's desk is organized.

2. Plural Possessive (for nouns ending in "s"):

• The students' papers are on the desk.
• The teachers' lounge is closed for renovation.
• The cats' toys are scattered all over the room.

3. Plural Possessive (for nouns not ending in "s"):

• The children's playground is full of laughter.
• The men's shoes are on sale.
• The women's meeting starts at noon.

4. Multiple Possessors:

• Jack and Jill's house is on the hill.
  (The house belongs to both Jack and Jill.)
• Tom and Lisa's wedding was beautiful.
  (The wedding belongs to both Tom and Lisa.)

5. Possessive with Compound Nouns:

• My mother-in-law's recipe is delicious.
• The attorney general's office is closed.