possessive form of the research work of the students

Students’ or Student’s: Differentiating Plural and Plural Possessive

By: Author Susan Parker

Posted on Published: July 7, 2021

In any language, when you have the right tools, you can express almost anything. Making plurals and showing ownership in English are both subject to several rules, which leads to our discussion on when to use “students’” and when you should rather use “student’s.”

Student’s is the singular form of the possessive noun student, referring to something a single student owns. Students’ is the plural form of the possessive noun and refers to something multiple students own. When referring to someone studying at an institution, we call them a student, and when there is more than one of them, they are students.

In this article, we’ll examine the use of the apostrophe and why it can cause so much confusion.

We will explore singular and plural nouns so that we’re clear on whether we’re talking about students in plural or singular. We’ll also look at the rules that determine singular and plural possessive nouns and the exceptions to those rules. 

What’s the Difference Between Students’ and Student’s?

To understand the difference between “students’” and “student’s,” let’s look at some examples that illustrate this best. 

It should be clear from this table what the meanings are of  “students’” vs. “student’s” and when to use each of them. In two of the above examples, we can use an apostrophe either before or after the “s,” which can easily cause confusion. To alleviate this, let’s discuss the function of apostrophes.

The Possessive Form and Apostrophes

Apostrophes have many uses, and one of the most common is to show possession. To clarify apostrophe use, we can turn the sentence around and create an “of” phrase ( source ):

• The student’s hat = the hat of the student
• The woman’s coat = the coat of the women
• The cat’s paw = the paw of the cat

The table below demonstrates the different ways we can use apostrophes to indicate possession.

When deciding where to place the apostrophe in “students,” it’s essential to know whether you are talking about one student or more than one. If it’s singular, then the choice will be “student’s,” and if you’re talking about more than one, then the choice will be “students’.”

You need to understand if you are using possessive forms because apostrophes have two other uses that could be confusing. We outline these below.

To Show Omission of Letters

In contractions, we omit certain letters to make words flow more easily. In these cases, we use apostrophes to show where we’ve omitted the letters.

• Do not → don’t
• I am → I’m
• Should not → shouldn’t

To Form Plurals of Letters, Numbers, and Symbols 

We don’t use apostrophes to form plurals except in the case of letters, numbers, and symbols. 

• Jack is used to seeing a report full of A’s.
• There are three 4’s in my phone number.
• I prefer if you don’t use too many @’s in your report.

Importantly, we should never use apostrophes to make any other plurals or form possessive pronouns. Possessive pronouns such as “his,” “hers,” “its,” “yours,” etc., never use an apostrophe.

Singular and Plural

Before we dive into the possessive form, let’s first consider singular and plural nouns. You probably already know that we can make most singular nouns into plurals simply by adding an “s” at the end, like the examples below.

• Student → students
• Dog → dogs
• Shirt → shirts
• Bowl → bowls

However, not all words merely take an “s,” and you’ll simply have to learn some of these exceptions. We explain the most common exceptions below. 

Words That End in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, x, or z

In these cases, we then add -es to the end of the word, like the examples below.

• Bus → buses
• Pass → passes
• Marsh → marshes
• Branch → branches
• Tax → taxes
• Klutz → klutzes

There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, and we sometimes need to double the final letter for certain words ending in -z or -s before adding the -es, as we show below.

• Gas → gasses
• Fez → fezzes

Words That End in -f or -fe

In these cases, we mostly substitute the -f or -fe for -ve before adding an “s” as in the following.

• Knife → knives
• Calf → calves

This rule also has some exceptions, so you must learn these.

• Roof → roofs
• Belief → beliefs
• Chief → chiefs

Words That End in -y

Words that end in -y preceded by a consonant replace the -y with -ies to make a plural.

• City → cities
• Party → parties
• Kitty → kitties

Words that end in -y preceded by a vowel simply add -s to make a plural.

• Tray → trays
• Relay → relays

Words That End in -o 

These words add -es to the word to create a plural.

• Potato → potatoes
• Tomato → tomatoes

Again, there are exceptions to this rule that you must learn. These include the following.

• Halo → halos
• Piano → pianos
• Photo → photos

Now that we’ve covered the basics of singular and plural nouns, let’s consider how we go about showing ownership of those nouns. 

Possessive Nouns

We use possessive nouns to signify ownership, and the rules vary depending on whether the noun we’re describing is singular or plural.

Singular Possessive Nouns

We usually add -‘s to singular nouns to demonstrate possession, as in the examples below ( source ).

• That is Sharon’s car.
• The dog’s collar is blue.
• The student’s pen is missing.

In these examples, there is just one Sharon, one dog, and one student. Returning to our title, “student’s” is the singular possessive form of “student.”

Plural Possessive Nouns

We usually add just an apostrophe to plural nouns that end in -s. 

• The dogs’ collars are blue.
• Those cars’ windshields are all broken.
• The students’ bags are missing.

There is more than one dog, car, and student in these examples; therefore, they are all plurals. “Students’” is, therefore, the plural possessive form of “student.”

Not all plurals end in -s, and in these irregular cases, we add -’s to show possession ( source ).

• The women’s coats were all red.
• The children’s shoes are all over the garden.
• The people’s award went to Jack.

The more you see English written and hear it spoken, the easier it will be to work out which plurals and possessives are appropriate. You can read about similar possessive questions in our articles dealing with week’s or weeks’ and children’s or childrens’ .

Student Defined

With all this discussion of students, let’s clarify what a student is. Both American and British English classify a student as someone who is learning, especially at a university or college. However, American English stretches this definition to include those who are studying at school ( source ). 

• My students are never late for class.
• She is a student at Princeton University.
• The history students went on a tour of Egypt.

We could also describe someone with a particular interest in a subject as a “student” of that subject, even if they’re not formally studying it. To understand that context, consider the examples below.

• She loves to work in the garden and is a student of the outdoors.
• As a teacher, I’ve become a student of human nature.

Etymology of Student

The word “student” comes from the Old French word estudiant , which translates as “one who is studying” and has its roots in the Latin word studiare (to study). 

There are various synonyms for “student” that you can use, depending on context. If we are speaking about someone who is formally engaged in studying, we could refer to them as a “scholar” or “pupil.” We could also be specific about how far they are with their studies and refer to a “freshman,” “senior,” or “graduate.”

In the context of someone with a particular interest in something and who is not formally studying, we could use synonyms such as “disciple” or “studier.”

How to Use Student’s and Students’

Now that we’ve discussed the singular and plural possessive forms, we need to cover how to use these in conversation.

Each Student’s or Each Students’?

“Each” refers to all members of a group individually. When using “each” as a determiner for a sentence’s subject, we always follow it with a singular noun and a singular verb, as we demonstrate below.

• Each student’s score will be considered in determining the winner.
• Before class, the teacher took each student’s temperature.
• Each student’s bag sat outside the lecture hall.

We would never use “each students’” in any context. However, we often follow “each” with a prepositional phrase that ends in a plural, such as “each of the students.” This is no longer a possessive form, but don’t let it confuse you — “each” is still singular and takes a singular verb, as in the following ( source ).

• Each of the students is responsible for meeting the deadline.
• Each of the students has a special place in my heart.

Your Student’s or Your Students’

When using “your,” I am referring to something that belongs to you. If I say “your student,” then I am talking about your one student. If I say “your students,” then I am referring to all of your students.

Likewise, in the possessive form, the use of “your student’s” vs. “your students’” will depend on whether “student” is in the singular or plural. Consider the examples below to illustrate this.

• Have you finished marking your student’s work? (one particular student)
• Have you finished marking your students’ work? (all students)
• Do you know your student’s home address? (one particular student)
• Do you know your students’ home addresses? (all students)
• Your student’s file should be in the cabinet by the window. (one particular student)
• Your students’ files should be in the cabinet by the window. (all students)

The Student’s or The Students’

Again, when using the article “the” followed by a possessive form, it will depend on whether we are talking about one student or many students. Consider the examples below.

• The student’s room is unlocked.
• The students’ room is unlocked.

If the room belongs to just one student, then we will use the singular possessive. But, if the same room belongs to two or more students, then we will use the plural possessive. 

• The student’s papers have been graded.
• The students’ papers have been graded.

Here, if one student has many papers awaiting a grade, we will use the singular possessive because, although there are many papers, there is still just one student. This article was written for strategiesforparents.com.

And, if there are many students with many papers for the teacher to grade, then we will use the plural possessive to show that the papers belong to more than one student.

Final Thoughts

It’s key to know whether you are dealing with a singular or plural noun when deciding what form of the possessive to use. Once you know if you’re talking about one item or more, one student or two, then you can decide how to show possession.

There are exceptions, but, broadly speaking, we add -’s to singular nouns, and we add just an apostrophe to plurals that end in “s” to create the possessive form. This is the case with the noun “student,” and as you are all students of English, you need to know how to treat it. 

We believe teachers should support each student’s study to encourage their students’ aspirations!

Grammar Minds

Student’s or Students’ or Students?

The term student’s is a standard singular possessive form for the term student. Use it when referring to something that belongs to one student, e.g., “The student’s notebook was left on the desk.” Furthermore, “students’” is a plural possessive for the term student. Use it when talking about something that belongs to more than one student, e.g., “The students’ projects are on display.

“Student” is the standard singular form and does not indicate possession or ownership but can be used as an adjective together with a verb, e.g., “Student achievements are celebrated annually.”

Let’s explore some different forms of the term students and their examples.

Look At the examples of each of the above forms in context;

Singular: Listen to what the student says for insight.

Plural : We have enrolled several students in the program.

Singular possessive: Prepare a report on the student’s progress.

Plural Possessive: Assess the students ’ understanding of the topic.

The term student is the standard form. It can also be used as an adjective, which is often confused with its possessive forms.

Example: “We appreciate student contributions to community projects.”

However, on its own alone, it’s neither a singular nor a plural possessive form. Let’s explore more examples on the other forms so you won’t make a mistake using them in the future.

This is the standard plural for the term student. Use it when referring to more than one student.

•  Pay attention to the students for any questions or concerns they might have.

Student’s is the singular possessive form for the term student. Use it when talking about something that belongs to one student.

• The student’s essay received high praise.
• Please check the student’s attendance record.
• The student’s project was selected for the exhibition.

This is the standard plural possessive form for the term students. It indicates that something belongs to more than one student.

• Review the students ’ assignments for grading.
• Collect the students ’ textbooks at the end of the semester.
• Provide feedback on the students ’ presentations.

Which one is correct to say “the student project” or “the student’s project?” Both are correct, but there is a difference in meaning depending on the context.

When we say “the student’s project” with a possessive form, it means the project belongs to a specific student, probably the one we’re talking about. If there are many students, it becomes “the student’ project.”

In the phrase “student project,” the word “student” is like an adjective describing the type of project. The word “the” suggests a specific project, but the adjective “student” doesn’t tell us which student.

 It could mean a project by a student, projects by students, a project for students, something on behalf of students, or something related to students in general.

Related posts:

• Luis’ or Luis’s?
• Business’ or Business’s?
• Brother’s or Brothers’ or Brothers?
• Sister’s or Sisters’ or Sisters?

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Students or Student’s or Students’? (Correct Possessive Explained)

When writing about “students,” we might sometimes require the possessive form. However, the possessive form isn’t all that easy, and we need to know the rules that surround it. This article will look at the possessive form of “student” and how to use it.

Students or Student’s or Students’: Which Is The Correct Possessive Form?

“Student’s” is the correct singular possessive form of “student.” We add an “‘s” to the end of the singular word to indicate that it’s the possessive form. “Students'” is also correct, but it’s the plural possessive form that takes the plural form “students” and adds an apostrophe.

The possessive forms for “student” are as follows:

The same goes for the plural form, where “students” is our answer, and we add an apostrophe to the end of it to create “students’.”

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Most plural words just add an “S” to the end of the singular word, and “students” is no exception.

To help you understand how “students” works in sentences, you can refer to the following examples:

You can use “student’s” when talking about one “student” owning an object in a sentence. That object usually comes directly after the subject of “student” in the sentence, and we highlight the possessive form with the “‘s” ending on the word “student.”

Like many possessive forms, “student’s” simply takes the singular word for “student” and adds the expected ending. The “‘s” at the end of most nouns is a great tool for helping us to identify when the possessive form is used.

In a sentence, you can use “students'” to talk about multiple “students” owning the same object or group of objects. Since “students” are often referred to in the plural form, this is a more common possessive form that we can use.

Like most plural possessive forms, the “S” after the apostrophe is now dropped. We do this to aid with pronunciation and readability since the word “students’s” would be far too jarring and difficult to read.

“Students'” refers to multiple “students” owning the same object or group of objects in a sentence. It’s a common possessive phrase because we use “students” to talk about a large body of students rather than one singular student.

Quiz: Have You Mastered Students or Student’s or Students’?

Now is the time for a quick quiz to see what you’ve learned from this article. We’ll include the answers in the next section, but try your best not to look at them until you’ve given this a good go!

Quiz answers

Final thoughts.

You may also like: Foxes or Fox’s or Fox’? (Correct Possessive Explained)

Student’s or Students’ or Students?

The word student’s is the singular possessive of student . E.g., “Each student’s needs are different.” Furthermore, the word students’ is the plural possessive form. E.g., “University students’ work is supposed to be of a high standard.” Also, students is the regular plural form.

The following chart shows the different forms of the word student.

You make the singular possessive by adding an apostrophe and an “s.” In comparison, for the plural possessive, you just add an apostrophe to student s.

Here are some examples that show the different forms in context.

• Singular: Each student must bring the signed permission form.
• Plural: The ideal number of students in a class is fifteen.
• Singular possessive: The student’s dedication was an excellent example to other students.
• Plural possessive: The school said they would listen to all the students’ demands.

Using the wrong form of the word student in your writing will make it look bad. Therefore, you should read the rest of the page so you can learn more about the different forms and how to use them.

Student’s

The word student’s is the singular possessive form of student. Therefore, you can use it to say something belongs to one student.

The things you refer to a student is owning can be both physical and non-physical.

As shown in these two examples:

• The student’s books were thrown all over his bedroom floor.
• The student’s loan repayments take up most of his salary.

In both instances, we are referring to just one student possessing something.

Students’

The word students’ is the plural possessive form of student . Therefore, you use it when you want to say that more than one student owns or possess something.

You form the plural possessive by adding the apostrophe to the end of the plural word students.

• College students’ lives are often hectic because of work and study commitments.
• The college met the students’ demands for a new study area.

The word students is the regular plural form of the word student . That means you should use it to mention a plural quantity of students when the sentence is not possessive .

With the word students, you can refer to a set number of students, as in these examples:

• All four students looked guilty, but none owned up to the crime.
• There are over five hundred students in my school.

Alternatively, you can use it to refer to all students.

• Students often say that school is hard but working and raising children are much harder.
• Secretary’s or Secretaries’ or Secretaries?
• Sheeps’ or Sheep’s?
• Society’s or Societies’ or Societies?
• One’s or Ones?

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• Knowledge Base
• Nouns and pronouns
• Possessive Noun | Examples, Definition & Worksheet

Possessive Noun | Examples, Definition & Worksheet

Published on February 13, 2023 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on October 3, 2023.

A possessive noun is the special form of a noun that’s used to indicate ownership (possession). The possessive noun represents the owner (possessor) of something and usually comes right before another noun representing what they own (e.g., “ Jeremy’s car”).

Possessive nouns are formed from the basic versions of nouns by adding an apostrophe and the letter “s”: for instance, “boy” becomes “boy ’s .” The possessives of plural nouns normally only add an apostrophe, not an additional “s”: “boys” becomes “boys ’ .”

Possessive nouns don’t always indicate literal ownership. “Alice’s brother” doesn’t suggest that Alice owns her brother; the possessive is just used to show their relationship.

Granddad’s hearing isn’t what it used to be.

That’s my room, and this one is Nari’s .

Table of contents

Possessive form, how are possessive nouns used in sentences, compound possessive, possession vs. contraction, indicating possession with “of”, worksheet: possessive nouns, other interesting language articles, frequently asked questions.

While the possessive is normally formed by adding an apostrophe “s,” the “s” is omitted for some types of nouns. The table below summarizes how to form the possessive for various types. More details are given in the following sections.

Singular possessive nouns (and irregular plurals)

The possessive version of a singular noun is normally formed by adding an apostrophe followed by an “s.” “Sara” becomes “Sara ’s ,” and “cat” becomes “cat ’s .”

This also applies to irregular plural nouns that don’t end in “s” (e.g., “ children’s toys”), to abbreviations (e.g., “the ANC’s ”), and to compound nouns made up of multiple words, whether hyphenated or written with spaces (e.g., “my son-in-law’s idea”).

It also applies to singular nouns that end in “s” (e.g., “the analysis’s conclusion”).

Plural possessive nouns

Most plural nouns end in “s,” so the rule for forming their possessive versions is to just add an apostrophe, not an additional “s” (e.g., “the boys’ bedtime,” “ animals’ habitats”).

Mistakes are common in this area, because the plural possessive sounds just like the singular possessive but shouldn’t be written in the same way. “My mother’s idea” has a different meaning from “my mothers’ idea,” even though they’d sound the same aloud.

The apostrophe alone is also used for pluralized versions of names (e.g., “the Joneses’ house”). And it’s used for nouns whose singular form ends in “s” and looks the same as the plural form (e.g., “ ethics’ importance”).

Singular names ending in “s”

With a name like “James,” there’s some disagreement about how to form the possessive. Most style guides recommend following the standard rule for singular nouns and adding an apostrophe and an “s”: James’s .

Others argue that the possessive should be formed differently depending on whether the added “s” sounds natural when pronounced aloud. So they might argue you should write James’s but go for just the apostrophe with another noun like Jesus’ .

Because of the inconsistency involved in this way of approaching the issue, and because style guides like MLA , APA , and Chicago recommend always adding the “s,” we advise going for the first approach.

Possession of nouns in italics or quotation marks

When a noun is written in italics (e.g., the name of a book, a foreign term), the possessive apostrophe and “s” (if included) should be written in plain text, not in italics.

• The Catcher in the Rye ’s ending
• The New York Times ’ editorial staff

When a noun is written in quotation marks (e.g., a song title, the name of a poem), don’t attempt to form the possessive in this way. It looks messy, and the reader is unlikely to notice the apostrophe. Use a different phrasing.

• “Hey Jude”’s lyrics
• “Hey Jude’s” lyrics
• The lyrics to “Hey Jude”

Exception: “For goodness’ sake”

In the traditional expression “for goodness’ sake” and similar expressions where the possessive noun ends in an “s” sound, it’s normal to use only an apostrophe. This is because using the “s” would disrupt the rhythm of the expression by adding another syllable.

Note that such expressions generally aren’t used in formal contexts like academic writing anyway.

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Possessive nouns are used in two ways in sentences:

• Before another noun , in which case they essentially play the same role as possessive determiners like “my.” A possessive used in this way modifies the noun that comes next, which represents the thing or person “possessed.”
• Independently , in which case they stand alone, not connected to another noun. They’re still implicitly connected to a noun from earlier in the sentence or clear from the context. This is the same as the role played by possessive pronouns like “mine.”

A compound possessive is the possessive form of a series of two or more nouns joined by conjunctions . In some cases, you should write every noun in the possessive form (e.g., “Kim’s and Harry’s”), in some cases only the last one (e.g., “Kim and Harry’s”).

• Both nouns are possessive when the different entities possess something separately.
• Only the last noun is possessive when the different entities share something, possessing it collectively.

Fabian and Denise’s car is a Mazda. [They share a car.]

France’s and Germany’s economies were both in recession. [They are two separate economies.]

As well as possession, the apostrophe is also used to indicate contraction : the shortening of a word or series of words. For example, “ it’s ” is a contraction of “it is” or “it has”; the apostrophe stands for the missing letter(s).

Because of this, the possessive forms of singular nouns look identical to contractions of those nouns with “is” or “has.” For instance, “Julia’s” could be the possessive form of “Julia,” or it could be a contraction of “Julia is” or “Julia has.”

The intended meaning is usually clear from the context. You can assume that it’s the possessive if it’s followed directly by another noun. If it’s followed by some other part of speech like an adverb , verb , or article , you’re likely dealing with a contraction.

The cat’s not here. [“cat is”]

Reza’s apartment is on the fifth floor.

The apostrophe is not the only way to indicate possession in English. Phrasings with the preposition “of” are the other main way. An “of” phrasing is the best choice in two main situations.

When the possessor is an object or concept (not a person or animal), it’s usually regarded as better style to use “of” to create the possessive. Sometimes the possessive noun version reads well enough, but the “of” version is more natural. Other times, especially when the “of” version is an established expression, using a possessive noun reads poorly:

• Politics’ importance
• The importance of politics
• My car’s steering wheel
• The steering wheel of my car
• The family’s head
• The head of the family

An “of” phrasing is also a good way to avoid creating a series of possessive nouns that could be awkward to read:

• Eliot’s writing’s themes
• The themes of Eliot’s writing

Other techniques may be needed to rephrase a series of three or more possessives; a series of “of” phrases can be just as awkward as a series of possessive nouns:

• Her wife’s cousin’s stamp collection’s highlight
• The highlight of the stamp collection of the cousin of her wife
• The highlight of the stamp collection carefully maintained by her wife’s cousin

In other situations, the “of” phrasing appears long-winded and reads less smoothly than a possessive noun:

• The eyesight of Rifka
• Rifka’s eyesight
• The car of his girlfriend
• His girlfriend’s car

Double possessive (“of” + possessive noun)

An unusual feature of English is the occasional combination of an “of” phrasing with a possessive noun (or possessive pronoun), thus expressing possession in two different ways at once. For example, you can say “a friend of John’s” (instead of “a friend of John,” which reads less smoothly).

This phrasing is standard, even though it seems redundant. But it’s only used in cases where the possessor is a person or animal and we want to suggest that they have several of the thing possessed.

The double possessive is most useful in cases where a phrasing with “of” alone would suggest something other than possession.

Other alternatives to possessive nouns

Besides “of,” other uses of possessive nouns can sometimes be rephrased using other prepositions or using verbs like “belong.” The phrasing depends on what exactly the possessive noun means in each case. Some examples are shown below.

I have a book that belonged to my great-grandmother [one of my great-grandmother’s books].

Want to test your understanding of how singular and plural possessive nouns are formed? Try the worksheet below. In each sentence, fill in the correct possessive noun (ending in ’s or just ’ ) based on the noun presented in brackets.

• Practice questions
• Answers and explanations
• The [dog] _____ toys haven’t been touched.
• Her [parents] _____ house was in the middle of nowhere.
• The [children] _____ dinner is almost ready.
• This [thesis] _____ main goals are outlined below.
• That was [Sergius] ______ idea, not mine.
• To create a possessive from the singular noun “dog,” you just add an apostrophe and “s.”
• To create a possessive from a plural noun like “parents,” you only need to add an apostrophe.
• Although “children” is a plural noun, it’s an irregular one that doesn’t end in “s,” so the “s” is added in this case.
• Although “thesis” ends in “s,” it’s a singular noun, so the “s” is still added. But note that the better phrasing here would be “the main goals of this thesis,” because possessive nouns are normally used when the possessor is a person, not a thing.
• You can choose whether to add the extra “s” to a singular name ending in “s.” Most style guides recommend adding the “s” consistently, but it’s also acceptable to make the choice based on which version would be easier to pronounce.

If you want to know more about nouns , pronouns , verbs , and other parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations and examples.

Nouns & pronouns

• Common nouns
• Types of nouns
• Proper nouns
• Personal pronouns
• Uncountable and countable nouns
• Verb tenses
• Phrasal verbs
• Types of verbs
• Active vs passive voice
• Subject-verb agreement
• Interjections
• Determiners
• Prepositions

A possessive noun is a noun like “farmer’s” that is used to indicate ownership (possession). It normally comes before another noun that indicates the thing possessed (e.g., “the farmer’s pitchfork”).

Possessive nouns are formed from regular nouns by adding an apostrophe followed by an “s,” or, in the case of plural nouns that already end in “s,” by just adding an apostrophe.

Possessive is an adjective meaning “jealous” or “having the desire to own or dominate.” In a grammatical sense, it’s used as a noun or adjective referring to the ways in which possession (ownership) is shown in language.

Some grammatical concepts involving the word are possessive pronouns (e.g., “my”), possessive nouns (e.g., “Steven’s”), possessive apostrophes (apostrophes like the one in “Steven’s”), and possessive case (how words show possession in general).

You normally form a possessive noun from a singular noun by adding an apostrophe and an “s,” but there’s disagreement about how to form the possessive of a name like “James.”

Most style guides recommend adding the apostrophe and “s” like normal: James’s . But some argue that it should depend on which version feels most natural to pronounce, so that you could instead write James’ , without the additional “s.”

We recommend the first approach, adding the “s” consistently, as it’s recommended by most authorities. Whatever you choose, be consistent about how you form the possessive of a particular name. Don’t write James’ at some points and James’s at others.

A possessive pronoun is a pronoun used to indicate indicate ownership (e.g., “This hat is mine ”). The English possessive pronouns are mine , ours , yours , his , hers , theirs , and whose .

A possessive pronoun stands on its own, replacing a noun phrase (e.g., in “Jessie says this chair is hers ,” “hers” replaces “Jessie’s chair”).

They should not be confused with possessive determiners , which instead appear before a noun, modifying it (e.g., “this is her chair”). The possessive determiners are my , our , your , his , her , its , their , and whose .

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

Caulfield, J. (2023, October 03). Possessive Noun | Examples, Definition & Worksheet. Scribbr. Retrieved July 8, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/nouns-and-pronouns/possessive-noun/

Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.

Garner, B. A. (2016). Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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English Crafter

Student’s or Students’ or Students?

The term student’s is the singular possessive form of student . E.g., “The student’s notebook is on the desk.” Furthermore, students’ is the plural possessive version. E.g., “Both students’ essays received high praise.” Also, students is the standard plural version. E.g., “I am meeting the students after class.”

This table provides an overview of the different forms of the word student .

The following examples show how you can use the different forms in a sentence:

• Singular: The diligent student completed the assignment.
• Plural: All students are required to attend the orientation.
• Singular possessive: I appreciate the student’s effort in the project.
• Plural possessive: The achievements belong to all students’ hard work.

Keep reading to learn more about using the plural and possessive versions of the term student .

The term student’s is the singular possessive version of the word student . That means you use it to refer to something that one student owns or possesses.

• The student’s dedication to learning is commendable.
• This student’s enthusiasm for science is inspiring.

Furthermore, even though the plural version of student and the plural possessive commonly refer to various individuals, the singular possessive usually only relates to a single student.

The term students’ is the plural possessiv e form of the word student . That means you use it to indicate ownership or possession of something by more than one student.

• The collaboration among the students’ groups was impressive.
• Students’ projects showcased diverse talents.

Furthermore, people commonly use the term students’ to refer to a collective set of individuals. For instance, when addressing multiple students in a class or program, it is common to say students .

Therefore, you can use the plural possessive to refer to something possessed by multiple students.

• The recognition reflects all students’ contributions to the community.

The term students is the plural form of the word student . Consequently, you can use it to refer to multiple students, as long as the structure is not possessive.

• I am mentoring a group of talented students .
• You students are the future leaders we believe in.

Additionally, you can also use students to refer to a collective of individuals pursuing education.

• Good luck, students . Strive for excellence in your studies!

Related posts:

• James’s or James’?
• Friend’s or Friends’?
• Lucas’s or Lucas’?
• Tuesdays or Tuesday’s?

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English Grammar

POSSESSIVES

Formation and use of the possessive in english..

N.B.: The possessive 's is ONLY used for living things and groups or institutions. It is not used for inanimate nouns.

• my sister's house
• the headmaster's office
• the cat's milk
• the dog's tail
• the horse's ears
• the government 's proposal
• the company 's policy.
• the council 's recommendation
• the company 's policy
• the policy of the company
• the door of the car (not the car's door )
• the leg of the table (not the table's leg )
• the roof of the house

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• This is Sam 's bicycle.
• Andy is Emma 's brother.
• ‘ Have you seen Sam and Emma 's garden? ’   ‘ It's really big. ’
• My parent s' friends came for dinner.
• Our children 's toys are everywhere!

• Sam 's bicycle
• the shop 's customers
• New York 's museums
• Emma 's brother
• Sam and Emma 's house Sam's and Emma's house
• They're my parent s' friends. They're my parent's friends.
• They're my children 's bicycles. They're my childrens' bicycles.
• Jack 's in the classroom. ( = Jack is in the classroom. )
• Jack 's got a new laptop. ( = Jack has got a new laptop. )
• Here is Jack 's room. Here is Jack is room.
• Practice 1   Multiple choice
• Practice 2   Multiple choice
• Practice 3   Multiple choice
• Practice 4   Multiple choice
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• Practice 12   Gap-fill

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How should we use possessive form in an academic paper?

In daily writing, I normally use the possessive form as " shareholders' wealth " or " firms' cash holding ", but it seems that in research, I did not see people use the " ' " for possession if the subject is not human beings, similar to my English teacher guided me, except this paper .

Our identification relies on the difference-in-differences estimation based on a staggered passage of leniency laws in 63 countries around the world from 1990 to 2012. In addition to exploiting a leniency law passage in the firm’s country, we look at the leniency law passages in the main export markets of the firm’s industry , and leniency law passages in the firm’s subsidiary locations , and find consistent results

I think of " wealth of shareholders " or " cash holding of firms ", is it suitable in academic paper writing or I can stick with " shareholders' wealth " or " firms' cash holding "?

• academic-writing

Your guesses are right - the variants "wealth of shareholders" and "cash holding of firms" are more suitable in academic paper writing. An academic paper suggests the usage of full forms of words and phrases and no cuts.

I very recommend looking at this article - Academic Writing: 11 Fundamentals for Your Success - it covers fundamental essentials on academic writing that will help to abstract away from publicists style and creative writing. Pay special attention to the sections about complexity and formality.

Best of luck with your work!

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Using the Apostrophe

Purpose of the Apostrophe

Apostrophes mark two things in writing: possession — whether the written noun has ownership over the following noun — and omitted letters in contractions, where two words are combined to make one.

Marking Possession with Apostrophes

Possession indicates that the noun being modified has some form of ownership or relationship with the noun that follows it.

• Example: Amina ’s jacket: the jacket that belongs to Amina

Singular Possessive

The possessive is formed in singular nouns by adding “-’s” to the end of the word, regardless of whether it ends in an “s” or not.

 Examples: The Little Pub ’s sign; Matías ’s basketball

Plural Possessive

The possessive is formed in plural nouns by adding “-’s” to the end of words that do not end in “s” and an apostrophe to the end of words that do end in “s.” 

• Examples: The children ’s toys; The student s’ books

The apostrophe, or the “-’s” ending, never indicates that the word is plural. The word will always be marked as plural before a possessive ending is added.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns, such as yours, hers, its, and ours, take no apostrophe.

• Example: The decision is yours .

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns, such as anyone, everybody, no one, and somebody, refer to nonspecific persons and use the singular possessive form.

• Example: Somebody ’s dog was in our classroom yesterday.

Using Apostrophes in Contractions

Contractions appear frequently in speech, but in writing they require modifications to spelling to mimic their pronunciation. Consonant sounds are often omitted to make it easier to pronounce a contraction as one word; they are replaced in writing with an apostrophe to mark the missing letter. Contractions are sometimes considered too informal to use in academic writing, and you may want to write out the words forming the contraction separately instead.

• Examples: do not = don’t; can not = can’t; should not = shouldn’t; will not = won’t

It’s vs. Its: It’s tricky!

It’s : This is the contraction of “it is” or "it has" and is never used to mark the possessive. 

Its : This is the possessive of “it” and, unlike other possessives, does not use an apostrophe.

• Example: I got a new car, but it’s hard to tell whether its paint is blue or green.

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Inanimate Nouns and Possession

Which inanimate nouns, if any, can be made possessive by adding ’ s ?

The opinions on this question vary widely, ranging from a belief that virtually any inanimate noun may take an ’s  to the view that few, if any, ever should.

At one end of the spectrum, William Follett claims in Modern American Usage that an “ancestral rule . . . reserves . . . ’s for ownership by a person” (254), while at the other end, Marjorie E. Skillin and colleagues argue that using ’s with an inanimate noun is only awkward on “rare occasions” (358).

Other authorities on grammar and style land in the middle of these two extremes.

The authors of A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language , for instance, believe that many inanimate nouns can take ’ s , but instead of articulating an underlying principle, they provide a definitive list of the kinds of nouns that may take the possessive ’s : geographic names, locative nouns (which denote “regions, institutions, heavenly bodies, etc.”), temporal nouns, and other nouns “of special relevance to human activity” (e.g., “brain,” “body,” “freedom,” “science,” and “love” [Quirk et al. 324]).

In contrast, Garner’s Modern American Usage lays out a single commonsense principle that writers can use to decide for themselves whether an inanimate noun should take a possessive ’ s . The author, Bryan A. Garner, maintains that the possessive ’s may be used with inanimate nouns “whenever it’s not a violation of idiom” (646). For instance, one would not write “the bed’s foot,” because “the foot of the bed” is an idiom—that is, a set phrase—so the version with the ’s sounds like a mistake. Indeed, Garner argues that when the possessive ’ s  does not violate an idiom, it is “preferable”—presumably, though he does not spell this out, because it makes writing more concise, avoiding unnecessary “of” phrases. As examples of possessives that work better with ’s , he offers “the book’s title,” “the envelope’s contents,” and “the earth’s surface.”

Ultimately, then, writers may choose to adopt an approach laid out in one of these guides, or in one of the many others like them. Or, with experience, they may develop their own set of guiding principles. I, for one, find Garner’s guidance clear and helpful—and yet flexible enough to allow me to follow my own intuition. To my eye, “the envelope’s contents” looks weirdly compressed, like the words on a soda can that’s been partially crushed. 

The question of inanimate nouns and the possessive ’s  is a good reminder that—as with so many questions of style—writers must eventually learn not only to follow the lead of grammarians and style experts but also to trust their own instincts.

Works Cited

Follett, William. Modern American Usage: A Guide . Edited and completed by Jacques Barzun, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1966.

Garner, Bryan A. Garner’s Modern American Usage . 3rd edition, Oxford UP, 2009.

Quirk, Randolph, et al. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language . Longman, 1985.

Skillin, Marjorie E., et al. Words into Type . 3rd ed., Prentice-Hall, 1974.

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How should we use possessive form in research paper?

In daily writing, I normally use the possessive form as " shareholders' wealth " or " firms' cash holding ", but it seems that in research, I did not see people use the " ' " for possession if the subject is not human beings, similar to how my English teacher guided me, except this paper :

Our identification relies on the difference-in-differences estimation based on a staggered passage of leniency laws in 63 countries around the world from 1990 to 2012. In addition to exploiting a leniency law passage in the firm’s country , we look at the leniency law passages in the main export markets of the firm’s industry , and leniency law passages in the firm’s subsidiary locations , and find consistent results.

Would " wealth of shareholders " or " cash holding of firms " be suitable in academic paper writing or I can stick with " shareholders' wealth " or " firms' cash holding "?

• writing-style

2 Answers 2

This isn't an academic issue, but rather a general English grammar issue. The apostrophe is placed after the s when we are talking about plural entities, and before the s when talking about a singular, to distinguish between the two cases.

So "... the firm's cash holdings..." would refer to the holdings of an individual firm, while "... the firms' cash holdings..." would refer to the holdings of multiple firms. You can even see this in the article you link, where the paragraph you quote is referring to an individual firm and so uses "firm's", while in numerous places elsewhere the authors use the "firms' " form when talking about multiple entities.

• sorry if my explanation confusing you, what I concern here is whether I should use " of " or apostrophe when talking about possession in academic papers. –  Phil Nguyen Commented Aug 16, 2021 at 10:24
• 3 Ah, ok, the switch between the singular/plural in the parts of the question threw me off. There may be times where 'of' or other similar phrasings may be easier to read or used to place emphasis on different parts of the sentence, but here's no general academic rule against using apostrophes to denote possession in academic writing (at least in any area I've worked in). –  Stephen McMahon Commented Aug 16, 2021 at 11:00
• Thanks a heap, @Stephen Mc Mahon –  Phil Nguyen Commented Aug 16, 2021 at 11:01

The term for apostrophe constructions like this is the "Saxon genitive."

In my opinion, it is less a question of correctness and more one of whether the construction is perceived as "awkward," especially to the ear of a native speaker. In general, your English teacher's guidance will lead you to the right choice, but there will always be the occasional exception. The example you posted is a good exception. Ordinarily, I would find "firms' industry" awkward, but in this case it is much more concise than using the X of Y construction. Change the phrases to "industry of the firms" (etc.) and you will find the text much longer and wordy ( "a mouthful" is a common idiom for text like that).

You may find this resource helpful: https://www.wallstreetenglish.com/exercises/english-possessives-the-saxon-genitive

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Capstone Form and Style

Grammar and mechanics: apostrophes, apostrophe basics.

Apostrophes  are punctuation marks used to indicate possession; the placement of an apostrophe depends upon the word being made possessive. Apostrophes are also used in contractions; however, contractions are not common in academic writing.

Note the italicization , bolding, and highlighting used for emphasis in the examples on this page.

• Singular possessive. Make a singular noun possessive by adding an apostrophe and an s.

See the examples below:

Pavlov ’ s theory of classical conditioning is based on his experiments with dogs. The company ’ s code of conduct is included in the employee manual. Jones ’ s (2017) research revolved around online academic writing feedback.

Note that singular nouns ending in "s" still take an apostrophe and an additional "s" (e.g., Jones ’ s research ).

• Plural possessive (regular). Make a plural noun possessive by adding an apostrophe.

The Nurses ’ Association has a code of conduct. The researchers ’ methods were sound. I did not use companies ’ private documents in my analysis.

• Plural possessive (irregular). Make an irregular plural noun (such as "women" or "children") possessive by adding an apostrophe and an "s."

I distributed recruitment flyers at St. Paul Children ’ s Hospital. My goal was to explore the perceptions of participants who attended the women ’ s health care conference.

• When constructing contractions. Apostrophes can also be used to create contractions (words like "can’t" and "didn’t"). However, contractions are rarely used in academic writing. See this APA Style Blog post for more information.

Instead of writing

• I didn’t receive responses from two of the companies I contacted.

Use the uncontracted form:

• I did not receive responses from two of the companies I contacted.

Common Apostrophe Errors

Some common apostrophe errors are easy to avoid. Do not use an apostrophe in the following situations:

• When making a noun plural.

INCORRECT: I received the contact information for the teacher’s who attended the conference. CORRECT: I received the contact information for the teachers who attended the conference.

• When making an abbreviation plural. See APA 4.29 for more information.

INCORRECT : I asked the CEO’s to define their own leadership style. CORRECT : I asked the CEOs to define their own leadership style.

• When making a number plural. See APA 4.38 for more information.

INCORRECT: I initially limited my search to the publications within the last 5 years, but most of the seminal research cited in this document was written in the 1960’s . CORRECT: I initially limited my search to the publications within the last 5 years, but most of the seminal research cited in this document was written in the 1960s .

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Form and Use Possessive Nouns

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L.3.2.D Form and use possessives.

This language lesson covers the formation and use of possessive nouns. The lesson includes research-based strategies and strategic questions that prepare students for assessments. In this lesson, students will practice forming and using possessive nouns. It will be helpful if students are already familiar with common, proper, possessive, collective and irregular plural nouns.

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Apostrophe Usage in Academic Writing

• Peer Review
• Apostrophes can be used to create contractions (shortened forms of words or phrases).
• Apostrophes also indicate possession.
• Overall, the apostrophe is not common in scientific writing.

Updated on July 30, 2013

Today's article looks at that forgotten mark, the apostrophe . We'll look at how the apostrophe is used ( hint: you can see two ways in this paragraph! ), with a focus on research manuscripts.

Despite their frequent use in everyday writing, apostrophes are very rare in scientific writing. This scarcity is largely a product of the desire to maintain a formal tone when reporting research, as several common uses for the apostrophe are generally considered informal. When these constructs get omitted from research manuscripts, apostrophes disappear with them. Here are several uses for apostrophes in English writing, with examples of how they're used in scientific papers (if at all):

Contractions

Contractions are shortened versions of longer words or phrases. An apostrophe is used in place of the missing characters. Some examples from this post include we'll (short for we will ) and they're ( they are ). Many contractions are unique, but terms such as what's can mean either what is or what has (e.g., " What's the capital of New Zealand ? " or " What's the cat been eating today? "). Because contractions are highly reminiscent of informal speech, contractions are almost completely avoided in scientific text.

Possessive forms

The apostrophe (along with the letter s ) can also be used to create possessive forms in English (as in " Jack's samples are in the freezer. "). Some believe that the use of the possessive form ascribes human characteristics to inanimate objects. Whether or not you agree, these forms are rarely seen in academic writing (like contractions). However, a handful of exceptions exist; these possessive forms are frequently accepted by convention:

• Eponyms such as Student's t-test or Parkinson's disease
• The phrase  according to the manufacturer's instructions

Unusual plural forms

Finally, the apostrophe can be used in rare cases to create a plural form , particularly when using an s alone would create confusion. These strange plural forms are uncommon, but if they arise in a scientific manuscript, it is appropriate to use the apostrophe:

• Plurals of individual lowercase letters:  The writing sample contained 269  a's  and 934  e's .
• Plurals of words (when referring to the use of word itself):  The number of  maybe's  from the survey takers was highest for question 5.
• Please note that apostrophes are  not  recommended when naming a decade or pluralizing a number (e.g., write  1990s , not  1990's ).

These are not the only uses for apostrophes, but they are some of the most common. If you have questions about your writing, send us an email . Best wishes!

Ben Mudrak, PhD

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