How to use possessive apostrophes

What is a possessive apostrophe?

Possessive apostrophes show who or what owns something.

The apostrophe goes in a different place depending on whether the owner is singular (one) or plural (more than one).

Singular (one):

The puppy’s teeth are very sharp!

Plural (more than one):

Puppies’ teeth are very sharp!

Possessive apostrophes are also known as apostrophes for possession.

Learn about possessive apostrophes with this letter of complaint. Then, put your knowledge to the test in the quiz!

A possessive apostrophe shows that something belongs to someone or something.

When showing possession, you follow different rules:

For singular words, add ’s:
The dog’s tail.
For plurals that end in -s, just add an apostrophe after the s:
Puppies’ teeth.
For plurals that don’t end in -s, add ’s just as you would with singular words:
Children’s hands.

Be careful with the word 'its'.

'Its' shows possession and does not use an apostrophe, while 'it’s' is a contraction of 'it is' or 'it has'.

If a word is plural, it must have an apostrophe.

True or false?

Has the apostrophe been used correctly in the sentence below?

The puppy chewed the controller! It’s teeth must be very sharp!

Your mission: Track down apostrophes in the real world to help save our sentences!

Can you find at least 5 examples of apostrophes in the wild?

Apostrophes are often misused, so some examples might be correct, and some might need fixing.

Look at packaging, books, signs, menus, leaflets, posters – anywhere!

Jot down examples in your detective log book.