JKBOSE 9th Class English Grammar Possessives
JKBOSE 9th Class English Grammar Possessives
Jammu & Kashmir State Board JKBOSE 9th Class English Grammar
J&K State Board class 9 English Grammar
1. The possessive case of a noun is usually formed by adding ‘s (which is called apostrophe s) to the noun.
But in some cases, only the apostrophe (‘) is used, and the letter s is omitted.
2. Remember the following rules:
(1) ‘s is used with singular nouns and plural nouns not ending in s :
a man’s job men’s work the people ‘s choice.
a woman’s love the driver’ s seat
the butcher’s shop the horse’s mouth
a child’s voice the bull’s horns
the children’s room India, s
(2) A simple apostrophe (‘) is used with plural nouns ending in s :
a girls’ school the Malhotras’ car
the students’ hostel the sparrows’ nest
(3) Classical nouns or less usual names ending in s usually take only the de apostrophe :
Pythagoras’ Theorem Archimedes’ Law ridoyi
Sophocles’ plays during Socrates’ followers
(4) Other names ending in s can take’s or the apostrophe alone
Mr. Jones’s car (or Mr. Jones’ car)
Yeats’s poems. (or Yeats’ poems)
(5) With compounds, the last word takes the ‘s:
my brother-in-law’s house the school teacher’s job
(6) With names consisting of several words, the last word takes ‘s:
Henry the Eighth’s wives the Prince of Wales’s helicopter
(7) Compounds denoting one idea are treated as single words:
Manu and Misha’s quarrel
but Henry’s and Herbert’s books
or Henry’s book and Herbert’s
(8) ‘s can also be used after initials :
the PM’s secretary the MP’s briefcase
the VIP’s escort the CM’s car
3. Note the difference between Possessive Adjectives and Possessive Pronouns :
| Possessive Adjectives | my | our | your | his | her | their |
| Possessive Pronouns | mine | ours | yours | his | hers | theirs |
4. Possessive Adjectives refer to the possessor of a thing. Therefore, they are always followed by a noun.
my gloves your bag her frocks
our house his brother their garden
5. Possessive Pronouns are used in place of possessive adjectives + nouns.
| Possessive Adjectives | Possessive Pronouns |
| This is our room. | This (room) is ours. |
| This is their car. | This (car) is theirs. |
| you are using my pen. | you are using mine. |
| where is your pen ? | where is yours. |
IMPORTANT NOTE
There apostrophe (‘) is not used with the following pronouns :
ours yours hers its theirs
Students should guard against this common mistake.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| your ‘s faithfully | yours faithfully |
| it’s tail | its tail |
| a brother of her ‘s | a brothers of hers |
6. The expressions of mine, of hers, etc. mean ‘one of my ; ‘one of her; etc.
a brother of hers = one of her brothers
a friend of mine = one of my friends
a factory of theirs = one of their factories