How to Use Possessive Nouns for ESL Learners

How to Use Possessive Nouns for ESL Learners Possessive nouns are used to show ownership. In other words, possessive nouns indicate that something belongs to someone. Possessive nouns are always placed directly before the  noun they modify. Formation and Examples of Possessive Nouns Possessive nouns are often proper names, but can also be objects or ideas. Examples Jennifers coat is beautiful!Peters house is on the corner of the next street.The books pages are made of plastic.The theorys application has been tested in India. The formation of possessive nouns is sometimes confusing to students. The reason for this is that many languages commonly use of for this construction. While of can sometimes be used in place of possessive nouns, it is not nearly as common in English as in other languages. Examples The color of his shirt NOT shirts colorThe ball of his dog NOT his dogs ball In everyday English, however, we generally use possessive nouns rather than this of form. Possessive Nouns Possessive nouns modify other nouns to indicate possession. Examples Peters motorcycleThe buildings structure Form the possessive noun by placing an apostrophe () after the noun s. Peter - Peters motorcyclebuilding - buildings structure When nouns end in s it can be difficult to know where to place the s for the possessive noun. For nouns ending in s, or to use the possessive noun with regular plurals, place the apostrophe directly after the s. Do not add another s. Parents - parents concern for their childrenComputers - computers manufacturer The placement of the apostrophe in a possessive pronoun indicates whether the possessive noun refers to the singular or the plural form. Notice that this construction can change the meaning from singular to plural. Examples The cats favorite food is tuna. (one cat)The cats favorite food is tuna. (more than one cat) Possessive Noun Checklist Possessive nouns are used with proper names, objects, and ideasPlace possessive nouns directly before the noun they modifyForm the possessive noun using an apostrophe before s in the singularForm plural possessive nouns by placing an apostrophe after sNote the placement of an apostrophe to check whether the possessive pronoun is singular or plural