When it comes to showing possession in English grammar, there are various rules to follow. One of the common forms of showing possession is using the apostrophe. In the case of plural possessive, it can sometimes be confusing for learners. However, understanding the rules and guidelines can help clarify how to correctly use plural possessive.
Plural possessive is used when indicating that more than one person or thing owns or has a connection to something. It is important to understand how to correctly form plural possessive to avoid any confusion in writing or speaking.
One of the main rules for forming plural possessive is to add an apostrophe after the ‘s’ at the end of a plural noun. For example, if you have a group of students and they each have their own book, you would write “the students’ books.” The apostrophe comes after the ‘s’ because the books belong to multiple students.
Another important rule to remember is when dealing with plural nouns that do not end in ‘s’, such as children. In this case, you would add an apostrophe followed by an ‘s’ to indicate possession. For example, “the children’s toys” shows that the toys belong to multiple children.
It is also worth noting that when a plural noun ends in ‘s’, you can choose to either add an apostrophe after the ‘s’ or just an apostrophe. Both forms are considered correct. For example, you can write “the teachers’ desks” or “the teachers’ desks” to show that the desks belong to multiple teachers.
In conclusion, understanding how to correctly use plural possessive is essential in writing and speaking English. By following the rules of adding an apostrophe after the ‘s’ of a plural noun, you can accurately show possession for multiple people or things. Practice using plural possessive in your writing to become more familiar with this grammatical concept.