Possession (Apostrophes)
To show possession or belonging, use an apostrophe and the letter "s". A singular possessive noun ("the researcher's") and a plural possessive noun ("the researchers' ") have different meanings, so it's essential to know how many people or things are involved before choosing a form.
In this lesson, you will learn to
- Use apostrophes to show possession
- Distinguish between plural and possessive nouns
- Identify situations where apostrophes are almost certainly wrong
- Answer test-style questions involving possession and plural nouns
To show possession or belonging, you can use an apostrophe and the letter "s".
the researchers investigations ❌
the researcher's investigations ✅
the researchers' investigations ✅
The first example is wrong. Logically, the investigations "belong to" the researcher (or researchers), so an apostrophe + "s" is needed to indicate that relationship.
The second and third examples are both correct, but they have different meanings. The second example indicates that there is one researcher, and it is equivalent to "the investigations of the researcher". The third example indicates that there is more than one researcher, and it is equivalent to "the investigations of the researchers".
| Phrase | How many? | Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| the researcher's investigations | One researcher (singular) | the investigation of the researcher |
| the researchers' investigation | More than one researcher (plural) | the investigation of the researchers |
Keep going
The rest of this lesson is open to students with an access code.