Year 4 English · Plurals and possession · Lesson 4.5

Year 4 English: Possession with plural owners

Part of the Year 4 English plurals and possession chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

4.5

Possession with plural owners

Year 4
Put the apostrophe after the s when a plural owner ends in s, as in the foxes' dens, Add apostrophe and s when a plural owner does not end in s, as in the men's voices, Explain how many owners there are, and where the apostrophe goes

Story. The school hall is full of work from every class. The pupils' books are on one table, and the children's drawings cover the walls. The teachers' room is at the end of the corridor.

Sometimes the owner is more than one. Then the apostrophe goes in a different place.

If the plural owner ends in s, put the apostrophe after the s: the foxes' dens is the dens of more than one fox. No extra s is added.

If the plural owner does not end in s, add apostrophe and s: the men's voices is the voices of more than one man.

The owners end in s, so the apostrophe goes after the s.

Plural owner	Ends in s?	Apostrophe
the foxes	yes	the foxes' dens
the pupils	yes	the pupils' books
the men	no	the men's voices
the children	no	the children's drawings

A plural owner, whether it ends in s, and where the apostrophe goes.

Key ideas

A plural owner that ends in s: the apostrophe goes after the s, as in the teachers' room.
A plural owner that does not end in s: add apostrophe and s, as in the men's voices.
Count the owners first, then look at the last letter of the owner word.
Check the owner, not the thing: the teachers' room belongs to more than one teacher.

Worked example 4.5.1

Write this phrase with an apostrophe: the names of the girls.

Method. Find the owner, count the owners, then add the apostrophe.

Find the owner and the thing. The owner has the thing, so say the owner first.
the girls has the names
Count the owners. There is more than one owner, and the owner word ends in s. The apostrophe goes after the s, and no extra s is added.
more than one owner ending in s: add ' after the s
Add the apostrophe. Put the apostrophe where the rule says.
the girls'
Write the phrase. Put the thing after the owner.
the girls' names
Write the answer.
the girls' names

Check. Read it back: the names belongs to the girls. ✓

Watch out. The apostrophe goes after the s, and no extra s is added.

Worked example 4.5.2

Write this phrase with an apostrophe: the choice of the people.

Method. Find the owner, count the owners, then add the apostrophe.

Find the owner and the thing. The owner has the thing, so say the owner first.
the people has the choice
Count the owners. There is more than one owner, and the owner word does not end in s, so add an apostrophe and s.
more than one owner not ending in s: add 's
Add the apostrophe. Put the apostrophe where the rule says.
the people's
Write the phrase. Put the thing after the owner.
the people's choice
Write the answer.
the people's choice

Check. Read it back: the choice belongs to the people. ✓

Watch out. Irregular plurals such as children still take an apostrophe and s.

Worked example 4.5.3

Write this phrase with an apostrophe: the nests of the birds.

Method. Find the owner, count the owners, then add the apostrophe.

Find the owner and the thing. The owner has the thing, so say the owner first.
the birds has the nests
Count the owners. There is more than one owner, and the owner word ends in s. The apostrophe goes after the s, and no extra s is added.
more than one owner ending in s: add ' after the s
Add the apostrophe. Put the apostrophe where the rule says.
the birds'
Write the phrase. Put the thing after the owner.
the birds' nests
Write the answer.
the birds' nests

Check. Read it back: the nests belongs to the birds. ✓

Watch out. The apostrophe goes after the s, and no extra s is added.

Watch out

Watch out: the girl's names means the names of one girl. The girls' names means the names of more than one girl. Count the owners first, then choose where the apostrophe goes.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask: is the owner one thing or more than one? If it is more than one, does it end in s? If it ends in s, the apostrophe goes after the s. If it does not, add apostrophe and s.

Exercise 4E Practice: possession with plural owners

FWrite each phrase with an apostrophe.

(a)Write this phrase with an apostrophe: the names of the girls.

(b)Write this phrase with an apostrophe: the tractors of the farmers.

(c)Write this phrase with an apostrophe: the dens of the foxes.

(d)Write this phrase with an apostrophe: the team of the women.

Done

PSEach phrase below is written wrongly. Write it correctly.

(a)Ali writes the pupil's books. Write it correctly.

(b)Mia writes the parent's car. Write it correctly.

(c)Sam writes the childrens drawings. Write it correctly.

(d)Ben writes the people choice. Write it correctly.

Done

FWrite the missing phrase in each sentence.

(a)Write the missing phrase: We met in after lunch.

(b)Write the missing phrase: We looked at in the hedge.

(c)Write the missing phrase: We heard across the field.

Done

FWrite this phrase with an apostrophe: the wings of the birds.

Done

FWrite this phrase with an apostrophe: the games of the children.

Done

PSWrite this phrase with an apostrophe: the ideas of the pupils.

Done

RExplain why the teachers' room has the apostrophe after the s, but the children's room has it before the s.

Done

RAli says that the foxes' dens and the foxes's dens are both right. Is he right? Explain.

Done

PSWrite a pair of phrases: one with a plural owner that ends in s, and one with a plural owner that does not. Accept any correct pair, for example: the sailors' boats and the men's boats.

Done

RMia says that the apostrophe in the girls' coats shows more than one girl. Is she right?

Done

PSWrite this phrase with an apostrophe: the bags of the ladies.

Done