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The Possessive
Writing Help from the PhraseBook for Writing Papers and Research in English
Singular possessive
The singular possessive is normally formed by adding 's
| Examples |
|---|
| the author's work |
| the patient's reaction |
| Smith's paper |
| Newton's laws |
Names that end in s, z or x
For singular names that end in s, z or x, you can use an apostrophe either with s or without s.
In many cases both are correct:
| Examples | |
|---|---|
| Bayes' theorem | Bayes's theorem |
| Pepys' diary | Pepys's diary |
| Yeats' poetry | Yeats's poetry |
However, use an apostrophe plus s if the possessive sounds unclear without s
| Examples |
|---|
| Tallis's music |
| Lenz's law |
| Gauss's law |
| Erasmus's work |
| Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood |
And use the apostrophe without s if the possessive sounds or looks awkward with s
| Examples |
|---|
| Archimedes' principle |
| Achilles' heel |
| Cervantes' Don Quixote |
Alternatively, you can paraphrase:
| Examples |
|---|
| the reign of King James |
| the works of Tacitus |
| Marxist theory |
| pre-Columbian art |
The plural possessive
Most plural words simply add an apostrophe to form the possessive:
| Examples |
|---|
| the authors' work |
| patients' reactions |
| the participants' experience |
Nouns whose plural does not end in s
Plural nouns like men, women and children add 's
| Examples |
|---|
| men's room |
| women's rights |
| children's hospital |
The compound possessive
For the possessive of compounds such as the Security Council, William the Conqueror or Watson and Crick, add 's to the last word of the compound:
| Examples |
|---|
| the Security Council's decision |
| William the Conqueror's victory |
| Watson and Crick's breakthrough |
Possessive pronouns
The possessive pronouns do not have an apostrophe:
| Examples | ||
|---|---|---|
| his | ours | whose |
| hers | yours | |
| its | theirs | |
But: one's
One's immediate reaction is...
Note: it's with an apostrophe is short for it is, who's is short for who is. Neither is used in formal writing.
Abbreviations
Plural abbreviations can normally be written without an apostrophe:
| Examples |
|---|
| Various NGOs were represented at the meeting. |
| Several MPs were forced to resign. |
But with an apostrophe for the possessive:
| Examples |
|---|
| The UN's problems have been well documented. |
| The BBC's coverage of the election was widely praised. |
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Writing Help
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English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
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Possessive
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