Plural Possessives

Rules

1. To show possession of singular nouns add 's.
    
2. To show possession of plural nouns ending in s add an apostrophe (').
    
3. To show the possession of a plural noun not ending in s add 's.
   Example:
   
   oxen => oxen's yoke
   feet => feet's blisters

Practice - Write the possessive form of each phrase.
 

1. ____________children's pets____________ the pets of the children
    
2. ____________________________________ the first snow of winter
    
3. ____________________________________ the innocence of the people
    
4. ____________________________________ the blanket of Job
    
5. ____________________________________ the hunting grounds of the Delawares (referring to Native Americans)

Write the plural possessive form of each of the following:

6. _____sisters' names___________________ names of the sister
    
7. ____________________________________ howls of the wolf
    
8. ____________________________________ wagons of the family
    
9. ____________________________________ cries of the baby
    
10. ____________________________________ hunting grounds of the Native American
     
11. ____________________________________ guns of the frontiersman
     
12. ____________________________________ supplies of the settler
     
13. ____________________________________ teeth of the child
     
14. ____________________________________ tails of the dog
     
15. ____________________________________ meat of the hunter
     
16. ____________________________________ colors of the sky
     

Add apostrophes to the following sentences were needed to show the correct possessive nouns.

17. He was ashamed of his white mans blood.
18. The settlers fear of Weasel grew stronger each time he went outside the law.
19. I blessed whiskey for addling a mans wits and making him careless.
20. Many families dogs were a comfort, because they warned their owners of strangers.
21. Weasels hands tightened on the rifle and his eyes flew open, staring into mine with a crazy, startled look.
22. Three squirrels nuts were stored in the hollow of the tree.
23. I kicked the door open, keeping the gun pointed at Weasels chest.
24. My fingers twitched at the trigger as I thought of Ezra, his wife and unborn baby, and of Pa, caught in Weasels trap.
25. Trembling, I tore my eyes from Weasels gaze and ran out the door.
26. Many hunters guns are better than just one hunters gun.
27. I saw Pas face darken and Ezras face twist up in the way that made him look so fearsome.
28. Molly crawled onto Pas lap.
29. I heard Pas words again: "I'm very proud of you, son."
30. His leg was fine, he said, as good as new, and he made a lot of fuss over Mollys skill at healing.
     
31. Choose the sentence that is written correctly.
    
    a) Mollys brother is Nathan.
    b) The pioneers' have settled in the area around the Ohio River.
    c) The birds nest is high in the tree.
    d) The robin's red chest makes it easy to spot in the woods.
     
32. Choose the sentence that uses plurals and possessives correctly.
    
    a) Now that the Shawnees' are dead, Weasel has turned on the settlers.
    b) Nathan and Molly have been to their cousins' house the year before.
    c) Two year's ago Mama died from a fever.
    d) Mollys tears were streaming down her cheeks.
     
33. Choose the sentence that is written correctly.
    
    a) Pa didn't want the dog's in the house at night.
    b) The owls' are hooting to each other.
    c) Nathan's journey through the woods was scary.
    d) The raccoons pelt was too thin in the summer for the hunters.
     
34. Choose the sentence that uses plurals and possessives correctly.
    
    a) The paths twists and turns made the journey treacherous.
    b) The animals' were stalking their prey.
    c) The pioneer's had a hard life making a living in the isolated wilderness.
    d) All through the night Pa's leg throbbed.
     
35. Choose the sentence that is written correctly.
    
    a) Nestled in the valley was Nathan's cabin.
    b) Wolf's hunt during the night.
    c) Miz Tizzs' piglets were taken by Weasel.
    d) All the animals were either dead or missing, even Jobs saddle was gone.
    
     

-----------Key-----------

1. children's pets
2. winter's first snow
3. townsfolk's innocence
4. Job's blanket
5. Delawares' hunting grounds
6. sisters' names
7. wolves' howls
8. families' wagons
9. babies' cries
10. Native Americans' hunting grounds
11. frontiersmen's guns
12. settlers' supplies
13. children's teeth
14. dogs' tails
15. hunters' meat
16. skies' colors

17. He was ashamed of his white man's blood.
18. The settlers' fear of Weasel grew stronger each time he went outside the law.
19. I blessed whiskey for addling a man's wits and making him careless.
20. Many families' dogs were a comfort, because they warned their owners of strangers.
21. Weasel's hands tightened on the rifle and his eyes flew open, staring into mine with a crazy, startled look.
22. All of the squirrels' nuts were stored in the hollow of the tree.
23. I kicked the door open, keeping the gun pointed at Weasel's chest.
24. My fingers twitched at the trigger as I thought of Ezra, his wife and unborn baby, and of Pa, caught in Weasel's trap.
25. Trembling, I tore my eyes from Weasel's gaze and ran out the door.
26. Many hunters' guns are better than just one hunters gun.
27. I saw Pa's face darken and Ezra's mouth twist up in the way that made him look so fearsome.
28. Molly crawled onto Pa's lap.
29. I heard Pa's words again: "I'm very proud of you, son."
30. His leg was fine, he said, as good as new, and he made a lost of fuss over Molly's skill at healing.
     
31. (d)
32. (b)
33. (c)
34. (d)
35. (a)