Possessive

A possessive is a grammatical term describing a form that indicates ownership, association, or relationship between a noun and another noun or pronoun. It is used to show that something belongs to someone or something. In English, possessive forms are primarily created by adding an apostrophe and the letter "s" ('s) to a noun, such as "the boy's book," or by using the possessive pronouns "mine," "yours," "his," "hers," "ours," and "theirs."

The possessive case can be applied to nouns, pronouns, and noun phrases. For singular nouns, the possessive is formed by adding 's, regardless of whether the noun naturally ends with an "s" (e.g., "the cat's toy" or "Charles's car"). For plural nouns that already end in "s," only the apostrophe is added (e.g., "the dogs' owner"). For irregular plural nouns that do not end in "s," such as "children," the possessive is formed by adding 's ("the children's playground").

In pronouns, the possessive form functions as a determiner or a pronoun itself, conveying ownership or association. Examples include "my," "your," "his," "her," "its," "our," and "their," which can function as determiners before nouns (e.g., "my hat") or standalone pronouns ("This book is theirs").

Possessives are fundamental in language for expressing relationships and clarifying ownership or belonging. Proper use is essential for clear communication, especially in written language.