2. Possessives
Apostrophes are used to indicate ownership. In most cases, words will either receive an apostrophe, followed by an s, or simply an apostrophe.
The following situations receive an 's:
- Singular words: cat's paw, shoe's lace, Sarah's song; Mokey's diary
- Plural words not ending in s: children's games; mice's cheese
- Singular proper names, even if they do end in s: Chris's car; James's hat; Dickens's novel
The following situations receive only an ':
- Plural words: girls' father; bears' cave; Cardinals' pitcher