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

Grammar: Possessive Apostrophe

A2 Lesson 18: Showing Ownership with 's

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use an apostrophe + s ('s) to show that something belongs to a single person, place, or thing.

How to Show Ownership

The apostrophe ( ' ) is a small but powerful punctuation mark. One of its main jobs is to show possession, or that something belongs to someone.

To show possession for one person, place, or thing (a singular noun), we simply add 's to the end of the noun.

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

Key Tip: Names Ending in 's'

For a singular name that already ends in 's', like James or Chris, you should still add 's.
Example: That is James's guesthouse.

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

Don't Get Confused!

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

Example Sentence	Meaning
The tourists are lost.	Plural: More than one tourist.
The tourist's map is old.	Possessive: The map belongs to one tourist.

In Conversation

Let's see how the possessive apostrophe is used in a short conversation.

Sophea: Is this your pen?

Dara: No, that isn't my pen. I think it's the teacher's pen.

Sophea: And what about this phone?

Dara: Ah, that is Vuthy's phone. He is always losing it!

Practice Your Grammar 🎯

Exercise: 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

Your Grammar Mission ⭐

Who Owns It?

Look at the people and things around you. Write three sentences about your friends or family using the possessive 's to show what they own.

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

Key Vocabulary

• Apostrophe (Noun) | សញ្ញា '
  The punctuation mark ( ' ) used to show possession or for contractions.
• Possession (Noun) | កម្មសិទ្ធិ
  The state of having or owning something.
• Singular (Adjective) | ឯកវចនៈ
  Meaning only one.