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Possessives

When a student submits written work to a professor or to a law firm, no mistake will stand out more or create a more negative impression of that student's work than the mistaken use -- or nonuse -- of apostrophes. It is therefore critical that you master these simple, yet often-confused, rules for creating possessives. In any case, the threshold inquiry is whether the noun "owns" something: if it does, a possessive form is required.
 

1.  In singular possessive terms, place the apostrophe before the "s." This will indicate ownership by one person or thing. For example:
 

Incorrect: The schools collection included an original set of Blackstone's Commentaries.
Incorrect: The schools' collection included an original set of Blackstone's Commentaries.
Correct: The school's collection included an original set of Blackstone's Commentaries.

2.  In plural possessive terms, place the apostrophe after the "s." This will indicate to the reader that more than one person or thing owns the thing possessed.
 

Incorrect: The students success was largely attributable to their hard work and dedication.
Incorrect: The student's success was largely attributable to their hard work and dedication.
Correct: The students' success was largely attributable to their hard work and dedication.

3.  How to distinguish "its" and "it's."

"Its" is a possessive, as in the sentence, "The truck lost its muffler as it entered the pothole-laden Kennedy Expressway." This is the rare case in which a possessive term does not take an apostrophe.

"It's" is the contraction of "it is," as in the sentence, "It's best not to question the judge's knowledge of the laws of evidence in open court." In formal writing, however, one generally should not use contractions. Thus, the better formulation of the sentence above would be: "It is best not to question the judge's knowledge of the laws of evidence in open court."

"Its'" is not a word and is a logical impossibility. The word "it" is a singular pronoun. It therefore has no plural possessive form at all. As noted above, the singular possessive form of "it" is "its."
 

4.  A less-often faced decision involves the use of apostrophes where multiple owners are named. Where two or more people own one item together, place an apostrophe before an "s" only after the second-named person. For example:
 

Incorrect: Bill's and Mary's car was a lemon, leading them to seek rescission of their contract under the state's lemon law.
Correct: Bill and Mary's car was a lemon, leading them to seek rescission of their contract under the state's lemon law.


However, when two or more people own two or more items separately, each individual's name should take the possessive form. For example:
 

Incorrect: Joanne and Todd's cars were bought from the same dealer; both proved useless, even though Joanne's car was an import and Todd's was a domestic model.
Correct: Joanne's and Todd's cars were bought from the same dealer; both proved useless, even though Joanne's car was an import and Todd's was a domestic model.
 
5.  If a singular noun ends in an "s," use "'s" to create the possessive form only if the noun ends in a "s" sound. However, if the noun ends in a "z" sound, use just an apostrophe without adding an additional "s." This produces a more pronounceable possessive.
 
Correct: The car in question was Roger Weiss's red convertible.


Also Correct:

I was a student in Professor Abrams' Torts class.

6.  If a plural noun ends in an "s," it is preferable to use only an apostrophe -- and not an additional "s" -- to create the possessive. Of the three formulations presented below, the first most clearly and concisely indicates a plural possessive.
 

Correct: The car in question was the Weisses' red convertible.


Less Desirable:

The car in question was the Weiss's red convertible.


Also Undesirable:

The car in question was the Weisses's red convertible.

7.  Do not use an apostrophe to create the possessive of the pronouns his, hers, theirs, yours, ours, or its.
 

Incorrect: The responsibility for the bills was yours' and her's.
Correct: The responsibility for the bills was yours and hers.

8.  Nonpossessive plural words do not require the use of an apostrophe. For example:
 

Incorrect: The lawyer's could generally be found after hours at the Hanover Street Bar and Grill. (The apostrophe here incorrectly indicates a singular possessive.)
Incorrect: The lawyers' could generally be found after hours at the Hanover Street Bar and Grill. (The apostrophe here incorrectly indicates a plural possessive.)
Correct: The lawyers could generally be found after hours at the Hanover Street Bar and Grill. (The lack of an apostrophe here correctly indicates a plural, nonpossessive term.)

Cross Reference: Apostrophes