Intermediate Grammar – Saxon Genitive

Hello there!

Today we’re going to talk about the English possessive or Saxon genitive, which is used to show ownership or possession. It is formed by adding ’s to the word indicating the owner.

It is easy once you know how to do it but sometimes tricky to remember to use it.
Here at ABA we always try to make things easier for you so let’s have a look at how it works!
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The possessive is used to show ownership of something by someone, let’s see how it works!

1. Singular Nouns

When we are referring to singular nouns, we add ’s to the end of the word.

Examples:

Jim’s car is red.

Andrew’s house is big.

It’s Kim’s jacket. My jacket is a different colour.

The dog’s ball is green.

2. Plural Nouns which end in “-s”

However, when we are referring to plural nouns which end in “-s”, we simply place the apostrophe at the end of the word.

Examples:

The kids’ new toys were very expensive.

My parents’ car is a Toyota.

Their friends’ houses are all bigger than theirs.

3. Exceptions

There are some exceptions, however, where the ’s is placed after the plural noun.

Examples:

My children’s friends all live in the same neighbourhood as us.

I often don’t understand other people’s opinions on politics.

The men’s section is on the third floor

4. Multiple Nouns

If there are multiple nouns, only add ‘s to the last noun.

Examples:

Kevin and Arthur’s sister is a doctor.

Sarah and Lucy’s children are good friends.

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