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- 97
- à 1.4èPossessive Nouns
- ä:ïMake the following singular nouns possessive: star,
- rug, home, buzz, hum, bus, perch, ski, tomato, Jones.ïSee the Example.
- âS:
-
- #è╖ïstar's, rug's, home's, buzz's, hum's, bus's, perch's, ski's,╗
- #╖tomato's, Jones's ╗╗
- éS
-
- #ëTo make any singular noun possessive, add an ╗╗╖a╖╖╖╖postrophe╗ and
- #╖╗an ╖s╗ ╗to that noun.
- 1.ïIdentify the sentence that has a correctly notated posses-
- sive noun.
-
- A)ïThe commanders book was unopened.
- B)ïThe bear's nose was moist.
- C)ïThe kettles steam surrounded the room.
- D)ïå
- ü
-
- #è ╢Bear's╗ is a possessive noun because an ╖apostrophe╗ and an ╖s╗
- have been added to the singular noun bear.
- Ç B
- 2.ïIdentify the sentence that has a correctly notated posses-
- sive noun.
-
- A)ïJames's heart was beating fiercely.
- B)ïThe principals shirt was smudged with tomato sauce.
- C)ïThe lawn was filled with yesterdays dirt.
- D)ïå
- ü
-
- #è╢James's╗ is a possessive noun because an ╖apostrophe╗ and an ╖s╗
- #have been added to the singular noun ╖James.╗
- Ç A
- ä:ïMake the following plural nouns possessive: trains,
- roaches, data, deer, oxen, geese, hippopotami.ïSee the Example.
- âS:
-
- #ê╖trains', roaches', data's, oxen's, geese's, hippopotami's╗
- #éS Plural nouns ending in the letter ╖s╗ become possessive by
- #adding only an apostrophe after that ╖s. Trains╗ thus becomes ╖trains╗'.
- #Plural nouns that do not end in the letter ╖s╗ become possessive by add-
- #ing an ╖apostrophe╗ and an ╖s╗ after the last letter. ╖Oxen╗ thus
- becomes oxen's.
-
- As you might have noticed, there may be some confusion because the meth-
- od of forming the singular possessive is exactly the same one used to for
- #plural possessive nouns that do not end in the letter ╖s╗: adding an
- #╖apostrophe╗ and the letter ╖s╗ to the final letter.ïYou must, there-
- fore, be able to distinguish between singular and plural noun endings
- before adding the appropriate possessive endings.
- 3.ïIdentify the sentence that contains a plural possessive
- noun.
-
- A)ïMoses's highchair was artfully decorated with flowers.
- B)ïThe cartons' contents were a mystery.
- C)ïThe track's condition was poor.
- D)ïå
- ü
-
- #ë╢Cartons'╗ is the only plural possessive noun because all plural
- #nouns that end in the letter ╖s╗, as in cartons, form the possessive by
- #adding just an ╖apostrophe╗ to the final ╖s.ïMoses's╗ and ╖track's╗ are
- #singular possessive nouns, formed by adding an ╖apostrophe╗ and the
- #letter ╖s╗ to the singular nouns ╖Moses╗ and ╖track╗.
- Ç B
- 4.ïIdentify the one sentence that contains a singular and a
- plural possessive noun.
-
- A)ïThe birds' feeding habits varied from day to day.
- B)ïSamuel's sister was tutoring the Smiths' youngest child.
- C)ïJack's restaurant got an A inspection rating.
- D)ïå
- ü
-
- #ë╢Samuel's╗, a singular possessive noun, and ╢Smiths'╗, a plural
- #possessive noun, are located in the same sentence.ï╖Birds╗', a plural
- #possessive noun, and ╖Jack's╗, a singular possessive noun, are located
- in separate sentences.
- Ç B
- 5.ïIdentify the sentence that contains two singular possessive
- nouns.
-
- A)ïThe door's hinge was loose at Philip's store.
- B)ïThe actor's antics made the Samsons' dogs howl.
- C)ïAbraham's sons became the Hebrews' leaders.
- D)ïå
- ü
- #è ╢Door's╗ and ╢Phillip's╗, both possessive nouns with the appropriate
- #╖apostrophe╗ plus the letter ╖s╗ ending to make them possessive, are
- in the same sentence.ïIn the other sentences, a singular possessive
- #noun and a plural possessive noun are paired: ╖actor's╗ and ╖Samsons'╗,
- #╖Abraham's╗ and ╖Hebrews'╗.ïIn each case, the first noun is singular
- possessive, and the second noun is plural possessive.
- Ç A
-
-