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What is a possessive apostrophe?

A possessive apostrophe shows that something belongs to or is connected to something else.

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Video: Using apostrophes to show possession

Join Maggie the magpie to discover some examples of how to use an apostrophe to show possession.

Learn how to use a possessive apostrophe.

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Use with singular nouns

A singular noun is a noun referring to just one person or thing, for example 'cat'.

When you want to show that something belongs to that person or thing, you add a possessive apostrophe and an 's'.

For example:

The cat's tail was fluffy.

The 's' shows that the tail belongs to the cat.

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A sleeping cat in front of a bubble with the words top tip! inside. A girl is looking at the cat and smiling.

Top tip!

If a singular noun already ends in 's', you don't need to add another 's'. You can just add an apostrophe at the end.

For example:

Iris' cat was sleepy.

A sleeping cat in front of a bubble with the words top tip! inside. A girl is looking at the cat and smiling.
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Use with plural nouns

Plural nouns refer to more than one person or thing, for example 'brothers'.

To show possession when the noun is plural and already ends in 's', you just add an apostrophe to the end of the word. You don't need to add an extra 's'.

For example:

The brothers' feet were muddy.

The cats' fur is very fluffy.

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Play our fun English game Crystal Explorers. game

Use grammar, punctuation and spelling skills to explore jungles, caves and tombs on your mission!

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