NOUN- CASE ( part-7)

Rule 1:-  “  ’S ”is added in the noun to make possessive case.

Examples

1. Johan’s pen is red.

2. The boy’s bag is very nice.

3. This girl’s hair is curly.

Rule 2:- If the noun ends in ‘s’ , only apostrophe( ’ ) is used to make possessive case.

Examples

1. The boys’s car is running fast. (incorrect)

2. The boys’ car is running fast.

3. This man’s bakery is at the left of the road.

4. These men’s bakery is at the right of the road.

5. She has completed graduation from women’ college. ( use- women’s college)

Note- If the nouns are plural and do not end in ‘ s ’ , we use “ ’s ” to make their possessive case as in the 4th and 5th sentences.

Rule 3:- When too many hissing sounds come, we use only apostrophe ( ’ ) to make possessive case.

Examples

1. For peace’ sake.  

 

2. For conscience’ sake.   

    

3. For goodness’ sake.

4. For justice’ sake.    

 

5. For Jesus’ sake.       

          

6. Moses’ laws.

Rule 4:-‘ Of ’is used to make the possessive case of non-living things.

Examples

1. Chair’s legs are broken. (incorrect)

2. The legs of the chair are broken.

 ( Correct)

Rule 5:-If two nouns are closely connected to each other, we add “ ’s ” in the latter one.

Examples

1. Zaid and Zahid’s factory.

2. Kareem and Saleem’s wedding.

Rule 6 :- When we have to show possession for two or more closely connected nouns separately , ’s is added in each noun.

Examples

1. Milton’s and Shakespeare’s poems.

2. Thomas Hardy’s and Prem Chandra’s dramas.

Rule 7:- With compound nouns, ’s is added in the last word.

Examples

1. Father’s-in-law daughter. (incorrect) 

2. Father-in-law’s daughter. (correct)

3. Sister-in-law’s son. (correct)

Rule 8:- With some indefinite pronouns , we use ’s to make possessive case .

Everybody, somebody, nobody, anybody, anyone, someone, no one, etc.

Example

1. He has stolen somebody’s book.

Rule 9:- Don’t use ’s with these indefinite pronouns.

Something, nothing, anything, everything, etc

Examples

1. Everything’s beauty will fade with the passage of time. (incorrect)

2. The beauty of everything will fade with the passage of time.(correct)

Rule 10:- Don’t make possessive of all, both, many, each, either, neither, etc. by adding ’s.

Examples

1. Each’s house is beautiful.(incorrect)

2. The house of each is beautiful.(correct)

Rule 10:- ’s can be used with each other and one another.

Example

1. Each boy and each girl was holding one another’s hands.

Rule 11:- ’s  is also used with some popular idioms and phrases.

Examples

1. At one’s wit’s end.   

2. At one’s finger’s tips. 

3. To one’s heart’s content.   

   

4. At a stone’s throw.

5. At arm’s length.  

       

6. The car’s design.      

   

7. The ship’s crew.