1.6
Possessive Nouns
OBJECTIVES • To use possessive nouns correctly • To learn how to write the possessive form of singular nouns, plural nouns, proper names ending in -s, and compound nouns • To understand the difference between separate possession and joint possession, using possessive nouns
DAILY MAINTENANCE Assign Practice Book page 2, Section 1.6. After students finish, 1. Give immediate feedback. 2. Review concepts as needed. 3. Model the correct answer. Pages 4–5 of the Answer Key contain tips for Daily Maintenance.
WARM-UP
Ask volunteers to read silently the paragraph on separate and joint possession. Then have students dictate sentences that include examples of either. Write the sentences on the board, leaving blanks for the possessive nouns. Have volunteers fill in the blanks with the correct possessive forms.
PRACTICE EXERCISE 1 For review, have volunteers describe the different ways of forming possessive nouns. Remind students to pay careful attention to the verb form and the
1.6
Possessive Nouns
That girl’s skill at drawing is impressive. (The girl possesses skill.) The Wilsons’ home has many paintings on the walls. (The Wilsons own the home.)
To form the singular possessive, add -’s to the singular form of the noun. student Madeline
student’s Madeline’s
To form the possessive of plural nouns ending in s, add the apostrophe only. If the plural form of a noun does not end in s, add -’s. cowboys children
cowboys’ children’s
The singular possessive of proper names ending in s is usually formed by adding -’s. James Mrs. Williams
Read from a piece of writing that the class is currently reading. Emphasize the possessive nouns.
James’s Mrs. Williams’s
The plural possessive of a proper name is formed by adding an apostrophe to the plural of the name. the Adamses
the Adamses’
The possessive of compound nouns is formed by adding -’s to the end of the word.
TEACH
12 • Section 1.6
EXERCISE 2 Point out that -’s is used after each noun to show separate possession and that if -’s is used after the last noun only, it shows joint possession. When students have completed the exercise, invite volunteers to identify the clues in each sentence that indicate separate or joint possession.
A possessive noun expresses possession or ownership.
Ask students to walk around the room and choose an object. Have students return to their desks and write two different ways to show that the object belongs to them (John’s globe, my globe, the globe that belongs to John). Have students share their answers. If the answer includes an apostrophe, ask students to write the word or words on the board. Discuss the role of the apostrophe.
Have volunteers read aloud the definition of a possessive noun and the different ways to form possessives. Write some singular and plural possessives on the board, such as man’s, monkey’s, teachers’, and ladies’. Have students identify the words as singular possessives or plural possessives.
context of each sentence to help them decide whether the word in parentheses should be used in its singular possessive or plural possessive form.
commander in chief sister-in-law
commander in chief’s sister-in-law’s
If two or more nouns are used together to indicate separate possession—that is, that each person owns something independently— the -’s is used after each noun. If two or more nouns are used together to indicate joint possession—that is, to show that one thing is owned together—the -’s is used only after the last noun. Owen’s and Charlotte’s murals are colorful. (separate possession) Finn and Otto’s mural is colorful. (joint possession)
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Section 1.6