Possessive Apostrophes
1 On Your Marks!
Objective
To indicate possession by using the possessive apostrophe with singular
and plural nouns
Key definition
A possessive apostrophe is an apostrophe used to show ownership of
something or things by another.
2 Get Ready
Prior knowledge
Children should have a solid understanding of the following.
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Singular forms of nouns
Plural forms of nouns
Apostrophes used to create contractions
Recap previous grammar, punctuation and spelling knowledge acquired
and touch on areas of uncertainty highlighted in the Diagnostic Check,
particularly regarding plural forms of nouns and apostrophes for
contractions.
Explain that this session will develop children’s understanding of how to
identify and use possessive apostrophes, to enable them to begin to use
them confidently within sentences.
Terminology
Nouns are words that represent a person, place, object or idea, e.g.
‘girl’, ‘home’, ‘bicycle’ or ‘happiness’.
A singular noun represents one person, place, object or idea, e.g. ‘girl’
or ‘bicycle’.
A plural noun represents more than one person, place, object or idea,
e.g. ‘girls’ or ‘bicycles’.
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Possessive Apostrophes
A contraction is a shortened form of a word, which can use an
apostrophe to make it shorter. For example, ‘could not’ becomes
‘couldn’t’ and ‘cannot’ becomes ‘can’t’.
Purpose and application
A possessive apostrophe is used to indicate possession of something or
things by another.
When a noun is in its singular form, an apostrophe and the letter ‘s’ are
added to show possession (e.g. ‘the girl’s shoes’).
This includes instances in which a person’s name or a place (a proper
noun) ends in an ‘s’ in the singular form (e.g. ‘James’s grey hat’ and
‘Paris’s many shops’). It also includes instances in which a plural word
is being used to denote a singular person, place, object or idea, for
example in a business name (e.g. ‘I really love Ian’s Incredible IceCreams’s variety’) – although this construction can usually be avoided
(e.g. ‘I really love the variety of Ian’s Incredible Ice-Creams’).
When a noun is in its plural form, only an apostrophe is added after the
letter ‘s’ of the plural (e.g. ‘the girls’ shoes’).
When an irregular plural (one not ending with an ‘s’) needs a possessive
apostrophe, an apostrophe and the letter ‘s’ are added, just as in the
singular form (e.g. ‘children’s’ and ‘sheep’s’).
When you use possessive pronouns to indicate to what or whom
something belongs, you do not need an apostrophe. For example, ‘his’,
‘hers’, ‘its’, ‘ours’, ‘yours’, ‘theirs’ and ‘whose’.
The most common error children make when they first learn about the
possessive apostrophe is that they begin to use it in any word that ends
in an ‘s’, whether or not the word is possessive. For example, ‘The
hen’s laid their eggs in the hen house.’ ‘The hen’s laid its eggs in
the hen house’ is a correct example of a contraction apostrophe, as
‘hen’s’ could here mean ‘hen has’.
It is important for children to see the possessive apostrophe being used
in a range of texts so that they fully understand how it is used correctly.
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Possessive Apostrophes
3 Get Set
Resources
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The Possessive Apostrophes diagnostic check PDF
This Possessive Apostrophes teaching sequence
The Possessive Apostrophes video
The Possessive Apostrophes game sequence (see below)
The Possessive Apostrophes assessment PDF
Strips of paper
A hat or pot
A bag of small objects belonging to the children (pencils, rubbers,
toys etc.)
Cards or mini whiteboards and whiteboard pens
Activities
1. Write a number of singular nouns and simple singular noun
phrases on a theme (e.g. ‘that car’and ‘wheel’) and put them
into a hat or pot. Children choose a word or phrase and put it into
its plural form. Challenge the children to put the plural form into
a sentence. Children choose another word or phrase and must
construct a phrase by changing their first, now plural, selection to
be possessive of their second (e.g. ‘those cars’ wheels’) and put
the phrase into a new sentence.
2. Provide each table in the class with a selection of strips of paper
featuring phrases that use the structure: ‘The [object] belonging to [a
child’s name or a group of people]’. Make sure there are some plural
‘owners’ (e.g. ‘the pupils’, ‘some children’, ‘those teachers’). Ask
the children to rewrite the sentences on the backs of the strips using
the correct possessive apostrophe. For example, ‘the chocolate bar
belonging to Harry’ would become ‘Harry’s chocolate bar’. Challenge
the children to think of their own phrases for the rest of the class.
3. Write similar phrases on cards or mini whiteboards, with the words ‘The
[object]’, ‘belonging to’ and ‘[a child’s name or group of people]’ on
three different cards or mini whiteboards held by children. Have the class
re-order the phrase to make one using a possessive apostrophe. Have
the child who was holding ‘belonging to’ hold a whiteboard showing the
additional ‘s’ instead, and use a physical action to show the apostrophe.
Repeat with multiple examples.
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Possessive Apostrophes
4. As a weekend or holiday challenge, ask children to hunt for and
record possessive apostrophes, particularly in environmental print. Also
give rewards for correctly ‘capturing’ incorrect or missing possessive
apostrophes.
5. Create signs for the classroom and school that use the possessive
apostrophe correctly. For example,‘Year 3’s scissors’, ‘the teacher’s
desk’, ‘the teachers’ staffroom’ and ‘the caretaker’s office’.
Practising with the Bug
Possessive Apostrophes Game 1
Possessive Apostrophes Game 2
Possessive Apostrophes Game 3
Possessive Apostrophes Game 4
Possessive Apostrophes Game 5
Possessive Apostrophes Game 6
Pluralise words in sentence
context, and spell irregular plurals
not ending in ‘s’.
Match ‘belonging to’ phrases with
singular and plural possessive
nouns.
Compose sentences expressing
ownership by substituting
‘belonging to’ phrases for singular
and plural possessive nouns.
Spell regular and irregular
possessive plurals in sentence
context.
Insert singular and plural
possessive apostrophes into a
sentence.
Compose sentences involving
both singular and plural use of the
possessive apostrophe.
4 Go!
Noticing possessive apostrophes
Encourage children to find possessive apostrophes within independent
reading and writing. Use peer assessment for children to identify and
assess use of apostrophes in each other’s work. Rewards could be given
for correct identification of an apostrophe used accurately and correctly.
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Possessive Apostrophes
Shared reading
During any shared reading of text, particularly across the curriculum and
in guided reading, ask the children to find any use of the possessive
apostrophe and to highlight it to others. If doing shared reading with the
whole class, cover up any words that might have a possessive apostrophe
and ask children to predict what they should say and why.
Shared writing
During a piece of shared or guided writing with the class, encourage
children to add in the relevant possessive apostrophe to the sentence
or word. Make deliberate mistakes for the children to correct and give
rewards to those children who notice them. Model how to use the
apostrophes correctly when composing a sentence and ask the children
to help you if you get ‘stuck’.
Independent reading and writing
Possessive apostrophes should be used in all forms of writing, but may
be particularly common in reports and biography. Set children the target
or challenge of using them in all pieces or writing in subjects across the
curriculum, and have them highlight their usage to encourage self- and
peer-assessment.
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