Nouns have a possessive form which is used to show ownership. Such nouns are called possessive nouns. They show ownership by adding an apostrophe and an s ( 's ) or just an apostrophe to a noun.
Examples:
- That is Tom's cat. (Tom is the owner of the cat.)
- The child is pulling the cow's tail.
- Everybody's shoes must be left outside the door.
- We all like the professor's voice.
- The plane's tail section had broken off.
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This is another failed attempt on the President's life.
Examples:
- He cut off the mice's tails.
- I stepped on one of the children’s toys and fell.
- They are renovating the elderly women's home.
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The group's latest song has topped the charts for two weeks.
Examples:
- Some girls' hair is shorter than some boys' hair.
- Their wives' parents shook each of us warmly by the hand.
- The strong winds destroyed many of the villagers' houses.
- The lambs' tails are docked (= cut short) for hygiene reasons.
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He had a three weeks' moustache growth drooping over his mouth.
Examples:
- This is a portrait of King Charles's wife.
- This is a portrait of King Charles' wife.
- My uncle, James's factory was burnt down last night.
- My uncle, Jalmes' factory was burnt down last night.
Examples:
- He went to the barber's to have his hair cut.
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She was at the butcher's when I called her.
Examples:
- She is Jim's brother's girlfriend.
- This is Tom's father's car.
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Jane's dog's bushy tail wags furiously when she arrives home.
Examples:
- On that hill is Jack and Jill's house. (The house belongs to both Jack and Jill)
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Paul and Paula's mother is a doctor.
Examples:
- Adam's and Eve's cars are parked one behind the other. (There are two cars – one belongs to Adam while the other belongs to Eve.)
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The police are keeping watch on the suspect's and his accomplice's houses.
Examples:
- My father-in-law's car hit a van the other day.
If a compound noun includes a personal pronoun, all of them will have to be in the possessive form. This is done by adding the apostrophe s ( 's ) to the noun and making the pronoun a possessive personal pronoun.
- George's and my school is on the other side of the river.
- Take those that are Janet's and yours.