Grammar: A2 - ✨ Grammar Essentials: ✏️ Writing Mechanics - Expanding - Lesson 2: Punctuation: Apostrophe for Possession with singular nouns (John's book)

✨ Lesson 2: The Apostrophe for Possession ('s)

The apostrophe¹ ( ' ) is a small but powerful punctuation mark. It has two main jobs in English. Today, we will learn its first job: to show possession² or ownership³.

We use the possessive apostrophe to show that something belongs to someone or something.

The Rule for Singular⁴ Nouns

To show possession for one person, place, or thing, we add an apostrophe + s ('s) to the end of the noun.

[The Owner⁵'s] + [The Thing Owned]

• This is Dara's book. (The book belongs to Dara.)
• I am going to my friend's house. (The house belongs to my one friend.)
• What is the hotel's name? (The name belongs to the hotel.)
• Cambodia's most famous temple is Angkor Wat.

Possessive ('s) vs. Plural (-s)

Be careful not to confuse a possessive with a simple plural. The apostrophe makes a big difference in meaning.

Example	Meaning
The tourists are here.	Plural: More than one tourist.
The tourist's bag is heavy.	Possessive: The bag belongs to one tourist.

Names ending in 's'
For a singular name that ends in 's' (like James or Charles), it is most common to still add 's. For example: "Where is James's guesthouse?" Some styles just add an apostrophe (James'), but adding 's is always a safe choice.

🧠 Practice Quiz: Rewrite the Phrase

Use the possessive apostrophe ('s) to rewrite these phrases.

1. the phone of my sister
   → my sister's phone
2. the recommendation of the tour guide
   → the tour guide's recommendation
3. the bicycle of the boy
   → the boy's bicycle
4. the history of Siem Reap
   → Siem Reap's history

📝 Homework: Who Owns It?

Write three sentences about your friends or family using the possessive 's.

Example: My brother's moto is new. I like my friend's new shirt.

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1: ___________________________________

2: ___________________________________

3: ___________________________________

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Apostrophe: (Noun) - សញ្ញា ' (sanhnha ') - The punctuation mark ( ' ) used to show possession or for contractions. ↩
2. Possession: (Noun) - កម្មសិទ្ធិ (kammâsĕt'thĭ) - The state of having or owning something. ↩
3. Ownership: (Noun) - កម្មសិទ្ធិ (kammâsĕt'thĭ) - The state of being an owner of something. ↩
4. Singular: (Adjective) - ឯកវចនៈ (aekavochna) - Meaning only one. ↩
5. Owner: (Noun) - ម្ចាស់ (m'chah) - A person who owns something. ↩