Explanation
Exercises

📘 Possessive 's — Use & Form

'S — Use
POSSESSION My father's car, the dog's toys, Mary's computer
(NOT the computer of Mary)
RELATIONSHIP John's friends, Sara's mother, Peter's brother
(NOT the brother of Peter)
SHOPS AND HOUSES I’m at John’s (= at John’s house)
I’m going to the baker’s (= the baker’s shop)
OF — Use
THINGS The end of the street, a picture of the sea, the secret of life
(NOT life’s secret)
NOUN + NOUN — Common Combinations
COMMONLY USED TOGETHER The city center (= the center of the city)
The car keys (= the keys of the car)
'S — Form
Singular noun + ’s My father’s car, the cat’s collar, the teacher’s notebook
Irregular plural not ending in -s + ’s A children’s story, the men’s room, people’s problems
Regular plural ending in -s + ’ The boys’ restroom, the teachers’ lounge, tourists’ passports
Singular noun ending in -s: ’s or just ’ Chris’s (or Chris’) computer, Tomas’s car, Douglas’s house
's after last of two or more nouns Anna and Tom’s car (= they have only one car)
's after each of two or more nouns Anna’s and Tom’s cars (= Anna has one car and Tom has one car)

📘 Possessive 's – Use

We use ‘s to show that something belongs to a person (or a pet) or to talk about relationships between people.

  • This is Peter‘s father.
  • This is the father of Peter.
  • Peter and Mary‘s car is red.
  • My cat‘s ears are white.

We also use the possessive ‘s to talk about shops and houses:

  • I am at John‘s. (= at John’s house)
  • I need to go to the chemist‘s. (= the chemist’s shop)

🛠️ Possessive 's – Form

  • Singular noun + ‘s: Anna’s clothes, Chris’s wife, the student’s books
  • Plural noun ending in -s + ‘: The students’ books, the boys’ toys, the teachers’ lounge
  • Irregular plural (not ending in -s) + ‘s: The children’s toys, men’s clothes
  • Shared ownership: Paul and Katherine’s house (one house)
  • Separate ownership: Anna’s and George’s cars (two cars)

📍 Possessive "of"

We use of (not ‘s) when talking about things (not people or pets):

  • The end of the street ✅
  • The street’s end ❌
  • A picture of the eclipse ✅
  • The eclipse’s picture ❌
  • The man of the match ✅
  • The match’s man ❌

🔗 Compound Nouns – No 's or of

Some nouns are often used together. In these cases, we don’t use 's or of:

  • A school bus
  • The city centre
  • The car key

❓ Whose

Whose is used to ask about possession.

  • Whose + noun: Whose car is this? Whose books are those?
  • Whose (without noun): Whose is this car? Whose are those books?

We can answer using ‘s + noun or ‘s alone:

  • Whose is this car? – It’s John‘s car / It’s John‘s.

⚠️ Whose vs Who’s

  • Whose = possession (of who) → Whose car is this?
  • Who’s = who is → Who’s that man in the lobby?
  • WRONG: Who’s car is this? / Whose that man in the lobby?
Exercises:
1
2
3

Whose, possessive ‘s: Whose is this?
It’s Mike’s

Choose the correct option to complete the sentences.
1 Jessica is sister.
2 phone is this?
3 You need to clean mess in the kitchen.
4 These are keys.
5 We reached house before dark.
6 I’m going to after work.
7 These are bicycles.
8 Let’s meet in office at 3.
9 I need to paint room this weekend.
10 soup reminds me of home.

Whose, possessive‘s:
Whose is this? It’s Mike’s

Choose the correct forms: whose, who’s possessive ‘s, etc.
1
_____ picture is this?
A.
B.
C.
2
_____ going to fix the computer?
A.
B.
C.
3
It’s ____ turn next.
A.
B.
C.
4
These are ____ notebooks.
A.
B.
C.
5
____ idea was brilliant.
A.
B.
C.
6
____ presentation impressed everyone.
A.
B.
C.
7
Is this ____?
A.
B.
C.
8
____ they going to pick up lunch?
A.
B.
C.
9
Can you tell me ____ house this is?
A.
B.
C.
10
It’s ____ birthday tomorrow.
A.
B.
C.

Whose, possessive ‘s: Whose is this?
It’s Mike’s

Rewrite the sentences using the possessive ‘s as in the example.
1
The balls belong to the players. ⇒ They are .
2
The house belongs to my parents. ⇒ It’s .
3
The jacket belongs to Anna. ⇒ It’s .
4
The pens belong to the designers. ⇒ They are .
5
The toy belongs to my nephew. ⇒ It’s .
6
These coats belong to Jim and Tim (one coat each). ⇒ They are .
7
The car belongs to Alice and Bob. ⇒ It’s .
8
The project belongs to the team. ⇒ It’s .
9
The books belong to the children. ⇒ They are .
10
The invitation belongs to Sarah and me (we share one). ⇒ It’s .