Possessives show ownership or a close relationship between one thing and another. They can be formed using apostrophes, possessive adjectives, or possessive pronouns.
1. Possessive Nouns:
* Singular Nouns: Add an apostrophe (') and the letter "s" to the end of the noun.
* Example: the girl's bike (the bike belonging to the girl)
* Plural Nouns Ending in "s": Add only an apostrophe (') after the "s".
* Example: the boys' toys (the toys belonging to the boys)
* Plural Nouns Not Ending in "s": Add an apostrophe (') and the letter "s".
* Example: the children's books (the books belonging to the children)
2. Possessive Adjectives:
Possessive adjectives come before a noun to show who or what it belongs to.
* Singular: my, your, his, her, its
* Example: my car, his house, her dog
* Plural: our, your, their
* Example: our school, their parents
3. Possessive Pronouns:
Possessive pronouns replace a noun phrase to show ownership.
* Singular: mine, yours, his, hers, its
* Example: This book is mine.
* Plural: ours, yours, theirs
* Example: The decision is ours.
Important Notes:
* "Its" vs. "It's": "Its" is the possessive adjective (e.g., The dog wagged its tail). "It's" is a contraction of "it is" (e.g., It's a beautiful day).
* Clarity: Sometimes, it's clearer to use "of" instead of an apostrophe, especially with inanimate objects or longer phrases.
* Example: the door of the car (instead of the car's door)
Examples:
* The cat's meow woke me up. (possessive noun)
* Her favorite color is blue. (possessive adjective)
* That phone is hers. (possessive pronoun)
Practice:
Try creating your own sentences using possessives in different ways. This will help you understand and use them correctly.
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